© Photo : Benoit Stichelbaut \ n.c. Meteorological reflexion... A turning in the curve For sure, this second leg of the race Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables is full of surprises. This Atlantic course is nothing like a simple walk and the moral of this first edition seems to be that it is necessary to have an initial strategy and adapt the tactics to the capricious weather. In the whole story of sailing, from the first Solo Oceanic Races in 1961 with the English Transat (Ostar), the last never ever has finished first ! However, it is what is happening between Horta and Les Sables d’Olonne with Gérard Marin. Alone, he has headed North (before some skippers who can also do well at the arrival joined him) at the exit of the Azores archipelago, the Spanish skipper is about to realize the unlikely : positioned among the « last of the Mohicans » just one day ago, he already is in twelve position of the overall ranking (first in production boat) this Monday afternoon… And as he is sailing twice as fast as the current leaders in prototypes, he may finish first overall in less than 48 hours ! And in Mini, you need to be very brave and determined to completely separate from the fleet as soon as the exit of the Azores. Knowing that nobody will answer at the VHF during ten days, confirming the course only with the weather forecasts broadcast on Monaco radio in French and in English once a day, basing himself only on the reading of the barometer and the colour of the sky, this is the mark of a big sailor ! Because Gérard Marin is rather reserved : fourth of the first leg only 1h21’ after the winner of the production boats the Portuguese Francisco Lobato (BPI), he might be one day before the production boats’ pack… at the arrival in Les Sables d’Olonne. Indeed, the Spanish skipper, coming from the Europe dinghy and then 470, proves to have, not only the feeling for navigation but also a fine touch : he has regularly approached the 9,5 knots with his Pogo 2 since Sunday ! If it keeps on with this speed, he just is going to smash all the prototypes… Direction North ! The most attentive skippers have understood that the solution was in the North, that it was necessary to sail at 90° of the rhumb line to get out of the High pressure trap and catch the South Westerly downwind that is above the 44° North. Because, the pack is lost in the high and even if the leaders still can sail in the direction of the arrival (but slowly), the forecast situation is not really favourable on the rhumb line. They have to make up a choice, and this kind of decision is very tough to take, alone, after six days of race. That is what Adrien Hardy (Brossard) has done, realizing that there was no reason to keep on sailing in the calms. In the South, Xavier Haize Haize (Carben Composites), Andraz Mihelin (Adria Mobil Too), Fabien Despres (Soitec), Kristian Hajnsek (Adria Mobil), Fabrice Lucat (Hakuna Matata) have followed, but not the leader David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins). For the production boats, far behind the Spanish Gerard Marin (Escar l’escala-CN Llanca), the leader of the first days of this second leg, is losing places as his speed is going down : Thomas Bonnier (architecture élémentaire) cannot get out of the tentacles of the high octopus, such as Vincent Barnaud (STGS.fr) who is just in his stern... In the extreme South, Hervé Piveteau (Jules) also desesperatly tries to go North and even if he still is in the second place today, he will probably be tenth on Tuesday… Because, the new leaders are definitively in the North, like Jean-François Quélen (Galanz), Dominik Zurrer (Ubik 245), Mathieu Girolet (Le roi du matelas). Those who have taken the good curve at the right moment… Fortunately for them, the late Minis should benefit from a nice downwind South Westerly flood as soon as Tuesday evening. Indeed, a cold front is coming in the Atlantic and should bring them till Les Sables d’Olonne. This will change the hierarchy in the pack. But will certainly not concern the Iberian “Conquistador”, who is in position to win easily in the production boats ranking, but also, in front of the prototypes : in the first leg, he was only seven hours after the winner Adrien Hardy in Horta… This would be the first time in the history of the Mini ocean races since Daniel Gilard’s victory with his serpentaire in the first edition of the Mini Transat in 1977, that a production boat would be consecrated. A historic turn in the Atlantic curve ! DBo. & AM.  mardi 22 août 2006 Brèves : Fabienne Robin est arrivée Vol 774 pour Les Sables Bruno Simonnet et Marc Vertes sont arrivés Benoît Lenglet est arrivé Les trois mousquetaires Vidéos : Clip vidéo Remise des prix 28 août aux Sables Arrivée de Véronique Loisel aux Sables Arrivée de Pascal Chombart de Lauwe Téléchargement : ... Embarquez ... :  Vous souhaitez embarquer sur un bateau accompagnateur... RSS feeds Réalisation : Adonnante.com | Design : fabienne.est.une.indienne | Hébergement : BleuRoy.com