KevinS
Senior Insider
In the words of a post from earlier today on the race's webpage, It is the Time For Great Maneuvers. As translated by Google:
After several days of progressing straight through the trade winds, things got busy in the leading group. The 14 duos that make it up took advantage of a change in the wind to jibe through the night. Each is consolidating its strategy between the supporters of the North route and those of the South route. Only 65 miles separate them in the standings and now nearly 170 miles sideways.
For several days now, they had gotten used to a long straight, a highway in the heart of the Atlantic where the trade winds offered a perfect corridor to set sail for Saint-Barthélemy. But on this Sunday morning, everything seems messy on the mapping for the leading group. This is in no way the consequences of a festive night: it will have been very studious. All tried to make the most of a shift in the wind, from Northwest to East-Northeast, further asserting their options.
Even more marked options
Thus, among the supporters of the South option, Pierre Leboucher and Thomas Rouxel (GUYOT Environnement - Ruban Rose), who had taken control of the classification the day before, have set course for the South again. They were imitated by Tom Laperche and Lois Berrehar (Bretagne CMB - Performance), by Pep Costa and Will Harris (CYBELE VACANCES TEAM PLAY TO B), by Gildas Mahé and Tom Dolan (Breizh Cola), by Martin Le Pape and Yann Eliès (Keep sight) and all to the North by Eric Peron and Miguel Danet (L'Egoiste - Cantina St Barth).
At the same time, Alexis Loison and Guillaume Pirouelle (Normandy Region) as well as Pierre Quiroga and Erwan Le Draoulec (Skipper Macif) who are part of the band of northerners, confirm by heading further north. Pierre Quiroga explains: “Two main options have emerged: to go south and have a fresh wind or come and play with the edges of the high pressure to find a wind angle favorable to the road to Saint-Barthélemy. We chose the 2nd option… We will see what the crossing with the starboard fleet will give! "
A fleet stretched 650 miles apart
At the race direction, Yann Chateau observed for the first time "a kind of point of no return": "until last night, the routings always indicated that the northerners were going to head south again. Now, they are reporting a northern route, which should increase the lateral gap at the end of the race. "
Behind, Estelle Greck and Laurent Givry (RLC Sailing) are close to 110 miles from the lead. At ERISMA GROUPE SODES - TARA OCEAN Foundation, Jérôme Samuel and Nicolas Salet, who had been victims of the breakage of their forestay the day before, seem to have regained a substantial average speed (10 knots this morning). “We thought about giving up,” recognized the two men who made two support halyards. Finally, Yannig and Erwan Livory (Interaction) are around 40 miles behind while Nicolas Bertho and Romual Poirat (Kriss-Laure) bring up the rear almost 650 miles from the lead.
After several days of progressing straight through the trade winds, things got busy in the leading group. The 14 duos that make it up took advantage of a change in the wind to jibe through the night. Each is consolidating its strategy between the supporters of the North route and those of the South route. Only 65 miles separate them in the standings and now nearly 170 miles sideways.
For several days now, they had gotten used to a long straight, a highway in the heart of the Atlantic where the trade winds offered a perfect corridor to set sail for Saint-Barthélemy. But on this Sunday morning, everything seems messy on the mapping for the leading group. This is in no way the consequences of a festive night: it will have been very studious. All tried to make the most of a shift in the wind, from Northwest to East-Northeast, further asserting their options.
Even more marked options
Thus, among the supporters of the South option, Pierre Leboucher and Thomas Rouxel (GUYOT Environnement - Ruban Rose), who had taken control of the classification the day before, have set course for the South again. They were imitated by Tom Laperche and Lois Berrehar (Bretagne CMB - Performance), by Pep Costa and Will Harris (CYBELE VACANCES TEAM PLAY TO B), by Gildas Mahé and Tom Dolan (Breizh Cola), by Martin Le Pape and Yann Eliès (Keep sight) and all to the North by Eric Peron and Miguel Danet (L'Egoiste - Cantina St Barth).
At the same time, Alexis Loison and Guillaume Pirouelle (Normandy Region) as well as Pierre Quiroga and Erwan Le Draoulec (Skipper Macif) who are part of the band of northerners, confirm by heading further north. Pierre Quiroga explains: “Two main options have emerged: to go south and have a fresh wind or come and play with the edges of the high pressure to find a wind angle favorable to the road to Saint-Barthélemy. We chose the 2nd option… We will see what the crossing with the starboard fleet will give! "
A fleet stretched 650 miles apart
At the race direction, Yann Chateau observed for the first time "a kind of point of no return": "until last night, the routings always indicated that the northerners were going to head south again. Now, they are reporting a northern route, which should increase the lateral gap at the end of the race. "
Behind, Estelle Greck and Laurent Givry (RLC Sailing) are close to 110 miles from the lead. At ERISMA GROUPE SODES - TARA OCEAN Foundation, Jérôme Samuel and Nicolas Salet, who had been victims of the breakage of their forestay the day before, seem to have regained a substantial average speed (10 knots this morning). “We thought about giving up,” recognized the two men who made two support halyards. Finally, Yannig and Erwan Livory (Interaction) are around 40 miles behind while Nicolas Bertho and Romual Poirat (Kriss-Laure) bring up the rear almost 650 miles from the lead.







