The arrivals continue to follow one another. Last night, four IMOCA competitors crossed the line at The Transat CIC: Paul Meilhat (Biotherm), Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Globa One), Guirec Soudée ( Freelance.com ) and Violette Dorange (DEVENIR), respectively taking 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th places in this category. In Class40, victory should be decided in less than 24 hours between Ambrogio Beccaria (Alla Grande – Pirelli) and Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel). Still in the lead, the Italian was only 161.3 miles from the finish at 4 p.m., closely followed by the skipper of Crédit Mutuel, who was only 19.1 miles behind the leader. leader.
Delivery is approaching for the Class40s, whose podium should be known in less than 24 hours. According to Francis Le Goff, Race Director, “ Fabien Delahaye (LEGALLAIS), 3rd, will have difficulty getting back ” on the leading duo. Victory in Class40 should therefore be decided between these two skippers who “ livened up a good part of the race and managed to make the break ”. However, the scenario is not as clear as that until the finish line. “ It won't be a long, smooth river for Ambrogio, even if he has a small cushion of around twenty miles which may be sufficient. There will be no stopping zone as was the case two days ago, but the wind has been weakening since this morning and there are not many on the line ,” comments Francis Le Goff , specifying that the sailors “ arrive with a flow which returns from the south at the edge of a stormy zone, which has nothing of a calm, constant and linear breath which could free the spirits ”. The challenge therefore: “ good positioning, maintaining good speed and finding the right cursor between opportunities and risks ”, as Amélie Juvien, Deputy Race Director, put it this morning.
At the rear of the fleet, the competitors are sailing upwind in around fifteen knots of wind. “ It softens in front of them. There are no big gaps within the tail of the fleet apart from Amélie Grassi (La Boulangère Bio) and Timothé Polet (ZEISS), who currently have a little more air ,” observes Francis Le Goff. For his part, Anatole Facon (Good Morning Pouce), who brings up the rear, will enter “ a small depression which he bypasses towards the south without going for a fight ”. The latter “ is progressing very well and could arrive before the finish line closes in New York ”.
On the IMOCA side, there were eight boats left in the race at 4 p.m., including three expected at the finish line during the day: James Harayda (Gentoo Sailing Team) around 3 p.m. UT, Éric Bellion (STAND AS ONE ) around 7 p.m. UT and Giancarlo Pedote (PRYSMIAN) at 9 p.m. UT. For his part, François Guiffant (PARTAGE) could arrive around 1 a.m. UT during the night from Thursday to Friday.
In the Vintage category, Patrick Isoard (Uship for Children of the Mekong) still has a chance of arriving before the finish line closes. Far behind, Rémy Gerin (FAIAOAHE) will sail for a few hours in a 25-30 knot wind while remaining to the south of the passing depression.
The IMOCA ranking:
1. Yoann RICHOMME (PAPREC ARKEA): 8d 6h 53mn 32sec
2. Boris HERRMANN (MALIZIA - SEA EXPLORER): + 2h 18mn 59sec
3. Sam DAVIES (HEART INITIATIVES): + 5h 48mn 5sec
4. Charlie DALIN (MACIF SANTE PREVOYANCE): + 7h 50mn 56sec
5. Maxime SOREL (V AND B - MONBANA - MAYENNE): + 8h 40mn 31sec
6. Yannick BESTAVEN (MASTER COQ V): + 11h 44mn 44sec
7. Justine METTRAUX (TEAMWORK): + 12h 47mn 48sec
8. Damien SEGUIN (APICIL GROUP): + 20h 36mn 0sec
9. Louis BURTON (BUREAU VALLEE): + 21h 44mn 6sec
10. Sébastien SIMON (DUBREUIL GROUP): + 1d 13h 9mn 3sec
11. Tanguy LE TURQUAIS (LAZARE): + 1d 15h 42mn 2sec
12. Isabelle JOSCHKE (MACSF): + 1d 16h 26mn 17sec
13. Alan ROURA (HUBLOT): + 1d 16h 41mn 4sec
14. Nicolas LUNVEN (Holcim - PRB): + 2d 2h 2mn 25sec
15. Paul MEILHAT (BIOTHERM): + 2d 8h 8mn 47sec
16. Kojiro SHIRAISHI (DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE): + 2d 9h 59mn 50sec
17. Guirec SOUDEE ( FREELANCE.COM ): + 2d 12h 14mn 30sec
18. Violette ORANGE (BECOME): + 2d 12h 26mn 51sec
