Nov 11, 2021
Sodebo Ultim 3 is being assessed after last night’s mysterious collision and 11th Hour Racing Team - Alaka’i has officially abandoned the race after their dismasting. The rest of the fleet is now split up.
You will like: find out what happened yesterday and the day before with Bureau Vallée’s retirement.
Last night at 01:00 (GMT+1), Sodebo Ultim 3 hit a UFO, damaging their starboard foil. Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel are both fine and safe in the boat. They continue the race but at a slower pace.
Their rivals in the front are facing decisions as they approach Madeira. SVR - Lazartigue and Actual Ultim 3 have decided to pass to the east, while Edmond de Rothschild and Banque Populaire XI will pass to the west of the island.
“We’ve made some great manoeuvres and we’re happy to be back in the game. Once again, a lot of things are going to happen” -Kevin Escoffier
These following hours should be more relaxed as they pick up speed again approaching the Canary Islands, which they should reach by midnight.
The gap is widening between the multihull class. As they continue to progress southwards, they are now at the latitude of Cape St. Vincent. They have conditions of 10-15 knots of wind and are sailing fast.
The fleet of 21 is seeing several one-on-one duels, and the biggest one is at the front. Apivia and LinkedOut have been battling since the start, and the gap between them is narrowing.
11th Hour Racing Team - Alaka’i reached La Coruña last night after their mast broke down. Simon Fisher wrote: “Sadly we will be officially retiring from the race. Hopefully we’ll be back for the next edition!”. Initiatives-Coeur and Charal fight for third spot while 11th Hour Racing Team - Malama and Arkea Paprec compete for fifth.
The 40-foot fleet stretches over 200 miles. The gaps are widening and the frontrunners have started their descent towards Cape Finisterre, leaving the rest of the pack behind at the Bay of Biscay. The wind remains unstable and the high pressure cell is moving towards the south-east, so if they are not careful they could get stuck once again.
“We’re in a bit of a mess. The spinnaker went in the water, fortunately we managed to recover it! Everything is fine though. We’re working hard and trying to get the boat moving fast.” -Crew of Lamotte - Module Création, currently in second place.
Transat Jacques Vabre Rankings 11th November 2021 at 14:00
Class 40
Ocean Fifty
IMOCA
Ultime
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