Leg 2: The Battle of the Atlantic
After Leg One saw the competition racing in the Baltic Sea through the North Sea and into the English Channel, on Sunday Leg Two begins with a different challenge - a sprint out of the Solent, across the familiar waters of the Bay of Biscay and into the Atlantic for the Matosinhos - Porto Fly By.
Incredibly, and after herculean efforts to make repairs, there will be seven teams on the start line, as Team Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei Racing are back after their Kiel collision.
Now it’s time for racing again, with a sprint down to Matosinhos-Porto (Portugal) before heading on to Cartagena (Spain). In short, a descent through the Atlantic followed by a first test in the Mediterranean. Here’s a breakdown of what’s at stake, with insights from Corentin Horeau (Paprec Arkéa), Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB), and Sébastien Marsset (Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive).
A victory for each team
For the first time in a leg under the banner of The Ocean Race, Biotherm won a stage when they raced into Portsmouth in first place on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Team Malizia (2nd in the leg) and Paprec Arkéa (3rd) confirmed they have the potential to be contenders in the race. Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (4th) and Team Amaala (5th) made it to the finish — a victory in itself considering their projects came together at the last minute. As for Team Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei Racing, they already have an achievement to their name: successfully repairing and undertaking a big race to return in time for the start, following their collision last Sunday.
A completely different challenge ahead
Therefore the full seven-boat fleet is expected to be on the water for the start on Sunday at 5 pm local time (6 p.m. French time), something ocean racing fans will be delighted about.
Especially since the coming leg will take the skippers into the Atlantic — a playing field they are far more familiar with. “For sure we’ll be sailing in more open areas, with more time offshore, fewer constraints,”* says Sébastien Marsset (Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive). “It’s going to be the first true ocean stage.”
“We’ll need to be versatile and very opportunistic, especially as the weather forecast isn’t clear,” adds Nicolas Lunven.
Sunday afternoon’s start is expected to take place downwind in 12 to 15 knots of breeze, ideal conditions to get flying in the Solent, hoist the spinnakers, and head towards Brittany. After that, there is a “clear transition with northwesterly winds that could create big differences,” said Lunven.
“If the downwind start suits us, we also know there will be calm patches to deal with — which is normal in the middle of August in the Atlantic,”* notes Corentin Horeau (Paprec Arkéa).
Once past those zones, the sailors should return to downwind sailing as they cross the Bay of Biscay towards the Fly By stopover in Matosinhos - Porto, then continue down to Cape St. Vincent and Gibraltar.
A complex end to the leg
The “fly by” in Matosinhos–Porto - a short stop of just three hours this Wednesday - is something unusual for the whole fleet. *“It’s the distinctive feature of this leg, which adds an element of the unknown, especially since we have little certainty about the weather at that time,” notes Sébastien Marsset. “It’s going to be a bit unusual, but we’ll have to adapt,” continues Corentin Horeau. “Depending on the wind conditions, it could pay off and be a jackpot, or it could really be a handicap.”
Then, entering the Mediterranean will demand extra vigilance, as the conditions there can be very changeable and demanding. Forecast models from PredictWind highlight just how quickly the scenario can shift, adding another layer of strategy for the crews.
“It’s always hard to know what kind of conditions we’ll face,” smiles Nicolas Lunven. “Often there’s very little wind at this time of year, so it could be trickier to manage,” adds Corentin Horeau. “It’s going to be long, and patience will be key.”
Corentin concludes with a grin: “We know it’s a great line-up. You don’t need to fear anyone, we all know each other well, but you need to be wary of everyone!”
