Arkema and Lalou put up an impressive show at The Transat bakerly

by Arkema on 6 May 2016 After setting off from Plymouth on Monday 2 May, the trimaran Arkema and its skipper Lalou Roucayrol are doing extremely well in this first part of the transatlantic race bound for New York. For over two days, handling his boat skilfully despite the prevailing conditions, Lalou has been leading the Multi 50 fleet, now 2,000 nmi from the finish. This Friday will be a decisive day for Lalou, as he sails through a deep low to the north of the Azores.

The aim: to sail quickly through this poor weather area without breaking anything.

Onboard news

There is nothing straightforward about sailing solo on a 50 ft trimaran in strong winds and on choppy seas, but Lalou Roucayrol, a regular of ocean racing, was all set to brave it all when he sailed from Plymouth on his third “English” Transat.

After a very intense first 48 hours, with the two key zones of the Bay of Biscay and Cape Finisterre, the Aquitaine-born skipper waited until Wednesday evening to have his first hot meal, two full days into the race. Passing through a ridge yesterday indeed afforded the sailor a bit of a break, so he was able to give us some news: “All is well on board, but I was sorry to hear about the damage Erwan Le Roux’s boat suffered. Hopefully it can be repaired in time for the rest of the season. The Multi 50 Arkema is faring well, no problem to report on board. I made the most of the ridge to have some rest, and the sun helped dry my wet weather gear. I recharged the batteries in view of the low pressure system ahead.”

Since he sent us this message, Lalou is now right in the middle of this low. Sailing under three reef ORC in 25-28 knot winds, the trimaran Arkema was pounded overnight in choppy seas. The aim of the skipper is simple: sail across this zone quickly but as cautiously as possible.

Karine Fauconnier: the strategic angle

In charge of routing for Lalou, Karine, who works closely with Eric Mas from Météo Consult, gives us her analysis of the route taken by the Multi 50 Arkema:

“Deciding between the ‘far north’ or the 'due south' route was not a readily apparent choice, as the northern route in theory was best but meant utter discomfort. We had actually decided to go for the winning route as Lalou’s aim is indeed to win this Transat! But when the southern route opened up once they were off and our direct rivals were choosing comfort and safety, we chose this option so we would not find ourselves isolated. The first few days have gone well for Lalou, he knows his boat well and, being a good sailor, handles it well. He slowed down when it got tough, for example off Cape Finisterre where he could have got into trouble… Yesterday we decided to resume a more uncomfortable but more direct route as we believe that this one gets you to New York first. However, it is fraught with pitfalls, an undulating front generating wind holes and extreme winds, a ridge with little wind. We did find small veins of breeze, and zigzagged between hurdles. We are currently managing the biggest of these obstacles, a deep low pressure system that is turning into a storm throughout the Atlantic. We are trying to stay in winds of under 30 knots, but the swell will still reach 3.5 m and this is no picnic on a 50 ft boat!” And as Eric says 'We are trying to find the loveliest path through these choppy seascapes.”

Ranking on Friday 6 may 2016 at 1pm:

Multi50

1. Lalou Roucayrol (Arkema) 2100 miles to finish
2. Gilles Lamiré (French Tech - Rennes St Malo), at 125 miles to leader
3. Eric NIGON (Vers un Monde sans Sida) at 204 mn to leader
4. Pierre Antoine (Olmix), at 225 milles to leader