Four of a kind

After rounding the island of Ustica, northwest of Sicily, the leaders have dived south. Paprec Arkéa holds onto the lead, closely followed by Biotherm, while Team Malizia and Allagrande Mapei Racing remain in striking distance. Here’s the situation at the halfway point, with less than five days to go before the finish in Montenegro.

One day, perhaps, the skippers will take the time to come back here, not chasing every breath of wind or obsessing over sail trim. One day, maybe, they’ll stop at Ustica, this tiny rocky outcrop of just 8 km², 41 miles off the Sicilian coast, perfect for diving, relaxation, and a taste of the dolce vita…

But that is not the mood right now, and not only because the skippers are racing. The reason? The ever-exhausting weather conditions. Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei Racing) searched for the right words to sum up the past 24 hours: “It’s very complicated… let’s just say it’s been very stormy.” The Italian continued: “Everyone has had different wind. It’s a bit on-off; the storms bring the wind up, and you have to constantly adapt.”

Paprec Arkéa and Biotherm stage mini break

As is always the case in these situations, some have handled it better than others, and some have been blessed by better fortune than others

Yesterday morning, four boats were leading the race: Paprec Arkéa, Biotherm, Team Malizia, and Allagrande Mapei Racing. After rounding Ustica and then sailing down the western coast of Sicily, Paprec Arkéa and Biotherm managed to pull slightly ahead and are sailing in around 20 knots of breeze. The two overall leaderboard leaders are now pointing their bows between the Tunisian coast to the west and the small Italian island of Pantelleria.

Behind them, Allagrande Mapei Racing and Team Malizia are seeing slightly lighter winds (around 15 knots). “It’s true that the first two have managed to escape a bit,” admitted Ambrogio Beccaria. “We were expecting a wind shift that never really came, so we suffered a bit from the situation.”

About 45 miles further north, Holcim-PRB (5th) is rounding Sicily, having made some nice gains in the last 24 hours. Team Amaala (7th) is positioned south of Sardinia, while Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (6th) is approaching Ustica with around 15 knots of wind. On board, it’s almost a relief: “These are the fastest hours we’ve had since the start,” said Sébastien Marsset. “It feels good, and it’s exhilarating to get the boat moving again, to find the speed, the glide, and the fun.”

Long slowed by squalls and calm patches that widened the gaps, the Canadian team hopes to break free quickly from northern Sicily. “The idea is to get clear of the Ustica zone quickly before calm conditions return.” On board, it’s still all hands on deck.

That sense of urgency also comes through in Ambrogio Beccaria’s voice as he talks about Thursday’s challenges: “It’s hard to have a clear picture of what lies ahead. But the storms aren’t going away! We know we’ll have to be as agile as possible and limit the damage…”