A tricky stage finish looms
The competitors are expected this Thursday in Portsmouth, at the end of this first leg of The Ocean Race Europe. Before that, they must contend with another zone of strong wind, currents that test the nerves, and numerous tacks despite the fatigue setting in.
In the 8:00 a.m. ranking, Biotherm maintains its lead, 18 miles ahead of Paprec Arkéa (2nd) and 27 miles ahead of Team Malizia (3rd). Paul Meilhat, Yoann Richomme and Will Harris speak about this final — not so straight — stretch.
They have the voices of those who have already fought a fierce battle… and who know another awaits. On Wednesday morning, after 2 days and 16 hours of racing from Kiel (Germany), the skippers are well aware that everything remains to be done over the 130 miles (240 km) still separating them from Portsmouth (England), where they are expected Thursday morning. “The whole course along the English coast will give us a hard time; it can be very unpredictable,” says Britain’s Will Harris (Team Malizia).
“Dream conditions”
Yesterday, the five crews first had to cross a ridge, a windless zone at the crest of the high-pressure system where fortunes varied. While Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) was pleased “to have crossed it faster than expected,” Will Harris admits that Team Malizia “lost much more time there than we thought we would. It felt like we were stuck, it was frustrating.” Especially as Team Malizia, which had closed to within 2.5 miles of Paprec Arkéa, saw the gap widen again (9 miles this morning).
Meanwhile, leader Biotherm was the first to escape the ridge. “We enjoyed dream conditions right after, with an east-southeast wind that allowed us to make rapid progress towards the English coast,” says Paul Meilhat. The skipper is all the more satisfied as they managed to slightly increase their lead over their two direct rivals. “The further away they are, the better, especially with what lies ahead.”
“We’re going to fight to make progress all day!”
Because the “dream conditions” didn’t last. Early in the evening, the crews once again had to cross a calm zone in which they battled all night. “Another factor that complicates things is the current,” says Paul Meilhat. “During the night, we even ended up going backwards!” Biotherm accelerated slightly this morning as they emerged on a beat from this transition zone.
The rest of the leg promises to be complex for the whole fleet, which also includes Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (48 miles back) and Team AMAALA (76 miles back). “We shouldn’t have wind for much of the day,” says Yoann Richomme. “We have to try to find a way through the south, but it won’t be easy with the current, the sandbanks and the restricted zones (TSS). We’re going to fight to make progress all day!”
The assessment is shared by Will Harris: “There are a lot of obstacles ahead, especially as the tide is very strong, which makes navigation even trickier.” And the British skipper reminds us “that once in the Dover Strait, it’s not going to get any better!” In short, the game now is to weave between the English coast and the shipping lane. “We’ll be tacking all day, playing ping-pong between the two,” explains Paul Meilhat. “We won’t have more than half an hour without a manoeuvre until the end of the race!” Despite the repeated efforts and mounting fatigue, everyone is ready to give their all until the finish tomorrow morning.