Charles Caudrelier, at the head of the Arkéa Ultim Challenge, sheltered his Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in the Azores on Wednesday to let a violent storm pass in the Bay of Biscay which prevented him from reaching the finish line, -we learned from his team.
A depression with winds set at 40 knots (75 km/h) and waves 8 to 9 meters high covers a large part of the gulf for the next 72 hours, according to the latest weather estimates. The skipper therefore took shelter in the Azores (Portugal), in the lee of the island of Faial in Horta to let the blow pass. “It’s a safety choice,” explained Guillaume Evrard, member of the race management.
“We waited and hoped for improvements but that is not the case. There is no question of taking the slightest risk. Even more so considering the lead we have,” explained navigator Benjamin Schwartz, one of the team’s routers.
A stopover of at least 24 hours
At 9 a.m. this Wednesday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild still had a lead of 2,114.95 miles over its first pursuer, Thomas Coville’s Sodebo, which was approaching the equator. The blue and white maxi-trimaran from the Gitana team, initially expected to win this weekend in Brest, was the last sailboat entered in the race not to have made a technical stopover, as authorized by the regulations. He has less than 1,200 miles to go to Finistère.
This regulation requires the ship to remain docked for at least 24 hours. The Gitana stable has communicated that it hopes to be able to return to sea at the end of this imposed period. “A window of opportunity is possible with a little more manageable weather between 2 depressions,” estimates Mr. Evrard.
Behind the two men, Armel Le Cleac’h (Maxi Banque Populaire Further away, Anthony Marchand (Actuel Ultim 3), fourth, has passed Cape Horn and is 5,716.96 miles from the leader. The Adagio navigator Éric Péron is hot on Marchand’s heels and is less than 300 miles behind his direct competitor.
2024-02-21 08:57:35
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