Which sailboat will be the first to see the bay of Fort-de-France in Martinique? The 15th Transat Jacques Vabre, which left Le Havre on November 7, still has some surprises in store. The Ultim and Ocean Fifty trimarans are already making their way up from the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies. The bulk of the Class40 fleet remained stuck this Friday evening to the south of the Cape Verde Islands. The mapping of the race makes it possible to follow the progress of the skippers in real time.
A leader and hunters among the Ultim
The Ultim maxi trimarans sail at over 30 knots. Edmond de Rothschild by Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier still leads and goes up the northeastern tip of Brazil. Follow Banque Populaire XI by Armel Le Cléac’h and Kevin Escoffier and SVR-Lazartigue by François Gabart and Tom Laperche. Actual by Yves Le Blévec and Anthony Marchand is a little further. Finally, still at sea, Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel on Sodebo have decided to leave after having to repair their starboard foil in Madeira.
Ocean Fifty in a handkerchief.
After having bypassed the obligatory crossing point of Fernando de Noronha, 5 Ocean Fifty trimarans are also speeding along Brazil: Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben on Primonial remain leaders but the gaps with Koesio by Erwan Leroux and Xavier Macaire and Leyton of Sam Goodchild and Aymeric Chappellier remain slim.
The first Imoca to touch key
The victory in these great monohulls will be played except surprise between 3 boats: Linkedout (from northerner Thomas Rettant and Morgan Lagravière) still in the lead this Friday evening. It is followed by Apivia by Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat and Charal (by Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt) who also began their ascent of the Atlantic after the passage of the Doldrums. “It was not easy” says Charlie Dalin, “it shifted and reconstituted towards the south with a lot of fairly violent squalls”.
– Charal Sailing Team
Delayed Class40s.
Sorely lacking wind during the 1st week of the race, the Class40s led by Redman are heavily penalized and are still on both sides of the Cape Verde Islands.
The first Ultim boat is expected in Martinique on Tuesday and the first Imoca on Thursday.
