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(November 12, 2022; Day 4) – Different strategies through the Azores see the two Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe leaders Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) and François Gabart (SVR Lazartigue) less than 15 miles apart and on converging tracks as they negotiate the island group, looking to get through the next cold front and into the fast reaching conditions which will accelerate them towards Guadeloupe.
Gabart has held the lead for some of today and is approaching the island of Sao Miguel on the windward side, sailing faster than Caudrelier. Tonight and into tomorrow could prove a key stage of the race.
In third Thomas Coville on Sodebo is not out of the match, some 45 miles behind “Charles and François managed to sail a little better than me. The strategy was to move to the West to pass between the two systems. Given our position, we couldn’t see how to do it any other way.” He is expected to cross the front in the coming hours, but the wind is already up to 30 knots and so he is sailing with one reef and staysail.
To the South where Charles Caudrelier and François Gabart are close together, the wind is likely to be slightly weaker. Over the coming hours, they will have to find their way through the front extending out from the Azores High, but can look forward to the trade winds tomorrow evening.
As Coville moves further west, Sodebo Ultim 3 may find less wind, but a better angle to head South, but ultimately could simply find herself lined up behind the frontrunners, who in stronger winds should extend their lead.
Coville reported this lunchtime, “There were a lot of maneuvers during the night and it used up a lot of my energy. Yesterday evening, we wanted to get as far South as possible to cross the second front at a more favorable latitude. The gains you make to the South at this point affect the rest of the race. I hope my position will allow me to sail down reaching towards the area of high pressure. I don’t know how it will work out for the second front. It’s never like it in theory.”
Meantime 1000 miles behind the leaders Armel Le Cléac’h resumed racing this afternoon on his repaired Maxi Banque Populaire XI which has an original spec daggerboard in as a replacement for the broken one…
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