The magnificent seven sailors
Less than 200 miles from the arrival in Les Sables d’Olonne, it is impossible to say who will enter first in the harbour ! When the boats at the end of the fleet, have suffered more than 40 knots gusts, the leaders alternate no wind and breaths of air…. The result is that six prototypes and one production boat are in the position to win this second leg !
Who, among Isabelle Joschke, new leader, David Sineau, François Salabert, Andraz Mihelin, Peter Laureyssens, Adrien Hardy or Gerard Marin will we see first at the horizon, off the Barges, on Friday ? Afternoon, evening or night ? It is also tough to say as in the middle of the BiscayBay, Minis sail at more than nine knots, then stop to less than three knots, before starting again at five knots… when these seven solo sailors are grouped in less than thirty miles. Some of them also can see each other, after more than 1000 miles of race ! Because the night has not been restless with the cold front : wind in front, no wind behind. For instance : at 9pm UTC on Wednesday, Adrien Hardy (Brossard) had an average speed superior to 10 knots, on Thurssday at 9am UTC, his speed was 3 knots, at 1pm UTC more than 11 knots and at 3pm UTC, 7 knots ! And the situation is almost the same more in the South. Located on the rhumb line since the exit of the Azores, eight days ago, the Franco-German skipper Isabelle Joschke (Degrémont) has taken the lead of a foreign legion : the Belgian Peter Laureyssens (Ecover) has come back very fast, the Slovenian Andraz Mihelin (Adria Mobil Too) is jus behind him, the Spanish Gerard Marin (Escar l’escala-CN Llanca) is still lying in ambush, not to mention the three French David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins) who has lead a long time, François Salabert (Aréas Assurances) and Adrien Hardy.
Rainy but happy arrival
Everything still can change with the disturbance expected on Thrusday night that will bring a South Westerly breeze…. And rain under the hot front. But it will not last, as the wind will turn again Westerly, and North Westerly with the passage of the cold front. Dizzies, then showers, then squalls, calms, wind rotations : the solo sailors are going to be solicited a lot after eight days racing !
They will have to react very fast this night, with almost no visibility and no moon, which does not make the manoeuvres easier. They will have to be careful not to break, not to miss any cloud, watch the course, watch the fishing boats, keep eyes open, not to forget to eat and drink, remain clear-headed. Well, when the six other competitors increase the pressure, not knowing exactly where they are in the scene, it is not easy to keep cool, quiet, relax but still concentrated !
If the rythm is going to accelarate very fast for the leaders, things are also going to change for the pack : last night, the late skippers have suffered a sudden gale when the cold front passed. More than 40 knots gusts that made them head North-Easterly to escape…. And some damage to fix. The British Andrew Wood (Domofosa.com) is still handicaped by a broken spreader and sails with genoa and reefed mainsail,. Bertrand Castelnérac (Alan France) has broken his spinnaker pole once again. .. Fabien Sellier (Surfrider Foundation) has blown up his top rigging kite and his pole is damaged. Stéphan Bonvin (Marcel for Ever) has some problems with his steering system and his partner is fragile. Jean-Marie Vidal (Jason) has broken his top rigging sheet, and then cannot send anymore the small kite nor the gennaker up. Karen Leibovici (Tam Tam) has broken her spinnaker pole and Romain Vidal (Bingo) has blown up his small kite. Dominique Barthel (Yamm) for his part, keeps on sailing to Les Sables d’Olonne with only one rudder. And Sébastien Picault (Groupe Royer) does what he can without automatic pilot … In resume, after the formidable calms, here come the violent winds !But everything should be finished this Friday : a 20 knots North Westerly flood will let them arrive fast in Les Sables d’Olonne and more than half of the fleet should be in the harbour before the « Saturday Night fever » … Anyway, the Spanish Gerard Marin, who has changed the face of thos leg with his radical, brave, lonely option in the North just after the Azores, is almost sure to win in the production boats category, the leg, but also the general classification. For the others, the hierarchy in Les Sables d’Olonne may have big consequences on the general classification.
DBo. & AM.
 vendredi 25 août 2006
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Fabienne Robin est arrivée
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