No longer strung out behind the leader as they were over the weekend, the head of this IMOCA fleet are now fanned out laterally, though the distances to the goal are still within 15 miles of each other with 3,000 miles to go. Solely, Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) has come unstuck, around fifty miles down on the leading pack today due to rather serious computer issues over the weekend. In the chasing pack, only the backrunners, with a day’s deficit, are no longer in the same weather conditions.

Conditions are still idyllic for the head of the fleet, who are making headway at an average of over 16 knots, with around twenty knots of SE'ly tradewinds. The doldrums will be in their sights this Monday, most likely at the live radio session with the Race HQ of the Transat Ecover-BtoB, set up at the Paris Boat Show between 1500 and 1600 hours local time. In fact, Météo France would have us believe that there is a windless zone about to position itself over the zone tonight, slowing the boats for around a dozen hours or so.

Favorable tradewinds

And though the S’ly tradewinds are beneficial this Monday morning, those in the North should also be favorable, not just in strength with around twenty knots of N’ly at 6° North, but also in direction: the Azores High has indeed slunk back under the pressure... depressions sweeping violently over the Breton coast since Sunday. Shifted further over to the SE towards Spain, the high pressure will be generating an E’ly breeze from the exit of the doldrums: the solo sailors will therefore remain on a heading close to the direct course by sailing with slightly eased sheets. This will mean that instead of hobby-horsing in short seas, they’ll be able to lengthen their stride to more than fourteen knots, by slipping along more easily through the waves. The climb up towards the Canaries archipelago should be fairly quick, for the top seven at least"...

For the time being though, the gameplan is consistent with defining the entrance into the ‘tunnel’: further to the East like Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), further to the West like Marc Guillemot (Safran), or rather central like Yann Eliès (Generali), who regained control of the fleet overnight? In any case, the lateral separation seems to be rather limited, between 28°30 and 29°30 West, and if there is a real upset in the local climate as the grib files suggest, it is highly likely to concern the whole fleet. Any differences then are most likely to come down to luck and trying to avoid the big cumulonimbus which ‘eat the wind’… But how can this be achieved when the doldrums is forecast for the middle of the night with a moon losing its intensity? Will there be a real shuffling of the cards? It looks doubtful given that over the past three and a half days at sea, not one of the seven new prototypes has demonstrated any more appreciable potential than the other boats...

Mike Golding (Ecover III): “In two hours time I will be crossing the equator back into the N Hemisphere and from the looks of it some fairly uncomfortable weather over the next ten days. First however, we must cross the Doldrums which look fairly horrible once again. I have watched the forecasts for signs of a easier way through but the routing is different on each evolution of the weather model - in other words the forecast doesn't know what will happen!. Similarly with such unreliable information I can do little but stay near the rhumb line, happily this coincides with the current routing and the choice of the other leading boats - if in doubt point at the mark!. The lateral spread across the lead boats is not wide I am set up on the eastern side with Generali and Foncia. We were close to each other at sunset as a squall came through. They disappeared into the wind and rain as did Ecover . When the squall had passed the wind moved aft and dropped, I set the A1 gennaker in the hope of stealing some ground on them both. It was only set for ten minutes and the wind built back and headed, down with the A1 - I lost some time and spent an hour cleaning up the mess, getting totally drenched in the process. It's sure that there will be more similar Doldrums related trouble, stoppages and squalls etc - all I hope for is a better comparative passage than on the way to Brazil !. One thing is sure - there will be little rest to be had over the next few days so I am going for a sleep!  

 

Dee Caffari (Aviva): “I have just passed Fernando de Noronha and today is the first time I feel that I have been in the same conditions as the rest of the fleet as my boat speeds were similar. Tonight has been difficult with lots of squally clouds. The wind changing by as much as 7 knots from 16 to 23 knots and changing direction by as much as 40 degrees.

It is good to pass the last land mass of the Southern Hemisphere, now we are onto the equator just 230 miles away. It has been a very wet day with lots of spray and waves over the deck. I am already in my foulie bottoms.”

Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat): “Not much news for the past couple of days as I’ve had a few technical issues. The main computer and its back-up are no longer playing ball. I was so convinced that I wouldn’t have any worries with the main machine that the back-up, normally dedicated to sending images, wasn't even configured and all the installation CDs were carefully packed away in the van. Result: 24 hours to get the nav and the receipt of grib files sorted. In addition to that, the bulkhead which separates the two central ballast tanks has broken and the two tanks are communicating with each other. I’ll have to be careful when I fill them so as not to explode the lid with all the pressure. I'm keeping an eye on it and when the sole lifts up I rush to turn off the valve. It's still useable though and most importantly it's not leaking into the boat. Other than that all's well aboard and I'm still trying to keep on top of the trimming and the sail changing. This is for good cause as I've crossed tacks with a few really copious squalls. Otherwise, it's hot and fair, life is good, and for a few minutes we have been in the Northern rather than the Southern hemisphere...because we're worth it!!!”

Samantha Davies (Roxy): "Hello ! All's well aboard. I had my first two squalls at the start of the night. Nothing nasty but a bit of a warm-up for the doldrums! I’m still under solent, 1 reefed main (its changes sometimes!) and ORC and Roxy is going well. The wind isn’t very stable in strength so you’re constantly on the sheets! I’m trying to sleep to in order to prepare for the doldrums, as well as looking at the weather info to try and understand the situation and find the best course (or the least bad!)... More news later."

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia): "I haven’t had the time to write until now. I’m always busy doing other things like keeping an eye on the other competitors for example. It’s crazy, after 48 hours of racing there were still seven boats up front... Right now, things are spreading out a bit and it's the first night I've not seen anyone. Brit Air and Generali were in my wake before the squall kicked in at the end of the day and after that, nothing, so I guess the visibility is bad? The wind is very shifty, particularly in strength, from 13 to 20 knots, direction is just about set, messy seas, so we're getting tossed about a bit. I haven't touched the helm since yesterday morning, but I'm on deck a lot to trim the mainsail. There's no need for foulies, which is just as well: it's still hot. We’ve still got a few hours of nightfall left with the moon but its intensity is diminishing. It’s really nice but will soon go sadly."

Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel): “Here we are back up the right way again!!!!! Groupe Bel has crossed the equator for the second time in its short life at 00h 06mn 40s and via 31°04 W. There is a well directed breeze, which is enabling us to reach speeds of 15 to 20 knots under automatic pilot. I’m trying to sleep a little ready for the doldrums, where it will be even harder to close your eyes…. All’s well aboard even though the entertainment is rare."

Translation KJ