Light winds shuffle the pack
The second leg of The Ocean Race Europe is already delivering drama, with the fleet entering a big compression mode on Monday morning after its first night at sea.
A windless patch off ocean off Ushant has reshuffled the leaderboard, with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive briefly taking charge before Biotherm reclaimed the top spot. The light conditions ahead could prove decisive over the course of today, forcing teams to stay sharp and seize every opportunity.
The early hours of Leg Two have offered up memorable moments from the start. Portsmouth with its heritage and passionate support for the British sailors in the fleet, on Sunday also delivered blue skies and summer sunshine, and the fleet launched of the Royal Yacht Squadron starting line under spinnaker.
It was Paul Meilhat's Biotherm who once again led through the scoring gate. The crossing of the Solent was particularly striking, with crews silhouetted against a glowing sunset: “We had great conditions to leave the Solent and cross the Channel, we really enjoyed it,” said Morgan Lagravière on board Allagrande Mapei Racing..
A dramatic change of scenery
The night was brisk, with boats accelerating in more than 20 knots of easterly breeze as they powered towards the tip of Brittany. “It was pretty full-on with a strong easterly wind and some waves, we were actually faster than the routing predicted,” explained Sam Goodchild from Biotherm. “We sailed a nice angle out of the Solent that saved us a maneuver later.”
By midnight the fleet had stretched to nearly 40 miles, from Biotherm leading the pack to Team Amaala at the back. But it didn’t last. As expected, a transition zone near Ushant cut the wind to fewer than 10 knots, bunching the pack once again.
“It’s a transition zone we expected between the easterly wind that got us across the Channel quickly and the westerly that will take us into the Bay of Biscay. But first, we have to get through this patch of calm,” said Goodchild. Lagravière added: “It’s a serious change of scenery, we’re all looking for solutions to get out of it.”
Different strategies, different fortunes
The light-wind trap created two tactical options: passing northwest of Ushant or trying to slip southeast of the island. For now, the northern route is paying off, with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, led on this leg by Britain’s Pip Hare, leading the fleet at one stage.
Meanwhile, Allagrande Mapei Racing, Team Holcim PRB, and Paprec Arkéa, who opted for the southern passage, have fallen slightly behind.
“For us, it’s a bit of a disappointment,” admitted Lagravière. “We thought we could sneak through but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.” Still, he sasys the team is determined: “We’ll be working hard all morning to get through this transition zone, to pick up pressure and new wind. We know this is one of the big hurdles of this leg.”
Goodchild agreed: “The goal is really to get through this light wind area, especially since we don’t know how far it extends. The conditions are struggling to stabilise, it’s not super pleasant, but we’re doing everything we can to optimise our speed.”
With nerves tested and patience essential, the fleet’s immediate challenge is to fight through the calm and stay in touch before the big push into the Bay of Biscay.