As expected, after an rapid reaching passage across the English Channel, followed by a long close-hauled leg along the English coast in still steady wind, the whole fleet began to feel the effects of the high-pressure bubble settling over the tip of Brittany. First to round the virtual DRHEAM-CUP mark at 6pm on Tuesday, Eric Defert’s MOD70 Drekan Energy has been making slow progress since, covering only around 80 miles as they tried to make their way towards La Trinité-sur-Mer in 2-3 knots of south-easterly wind. Their Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) has shifted back, to after midnight on Wednesday night.
Behind the trimaran, Bruno Jacob’s ORC 50 GDD, with the experienced Sébastien Audigane in the crew, is about to round the DRHEAM-CUP mark at 8am this morning, with a lead of around fifty miles over Wellness Training/MG5 (Marc Guillemot). The smaller Multi 2000s, more at ease in these light airs, are coming back, with Minor Swing (Didier Bouillard) and the two ‘little yellow’ tris Perros-Guirec (Thierry Roger) and ACapella-Proludic-La chaîne de l’espoir (Charlie Capelle) in close contact.
As for the Class40s (taking part in the 630-mile race via the Rochebonne plateau), after the beautiful photos of Wolf Rock in a steady breeze sent by Xavier Macaire at the end of the day on Tuesday, the fleet has also slowed down considerably and is making slow progress towards the DRHEAM-CUP point. Leading the pack, Swift (Jack Trigger) and Groupe Snef are locked in a duel, with the third scow, Viranga (Emmanuel Hamez), 15 miles behind the pair, while TrimControl (Alexandre Le Gallais) managed to take control of the ‘pointies’ when he overtook Belco (Louis Mayaud).
In the IRC crewed class, Teasing Machine continues to go it alone, with Eric de Turckheim’s 54-footer passing the virtual DRHEAM-CUP point at 8am this morning and expected to cross the finish line in La Trinité-sur-Mer midday on Thursday, where the village opens its doors at 10am. The battle is raging between their three pursuers, Fastwave 6 (Eric Fries), Stamina Sailing Team (Charlie Ageneau and the 100% mixed Dutch crew on Moana (Frans Van Cappelle).
In the IRC two-handed class, there was a change of leader overnight, with Red Ruby taking power, led by a formidable pair, the experienced American Jonathan McKee (Olympic Flying Dutchman champion in 1984) and the British sailor Will Harris, who usually sails with Boris Herrmann in the Imoca class – it should be noted that the two men received a one-hour penalty at the start for crossing the line too early. They have Bellino (Rob Craigie/Debbie Fish) hot on their heels, with Timeline (Marc Alperovitch/Jérôme Huillard d’Aignaux) and Tuf… Tuf… Tuff… (Pascal Tuffier/Xavier Decosse) close behind.
Finally, in the Sun Fast 30 One Design class, SL Energies Group (Laurent Charmy) rounded the Wolf Rock lighthouse in the lead at 6:30am on Wednesday, followed 45 minutes later by the Belgian Red Dolpins Espoirs (Jonas Gerckens) and then the Germans crew Gaia (Lina Rixgens). Today’s programme for all the crews will be a game of patience in the form of an upwind slog in light airs towards the DRHEAM-CUP point, positioned around a hundred miles to the west of the Pointe du Raz.