Route du Rhum - Jourdain on course for second win this evening

by Gaia Coretti on 14 Nov 2010 Route du Rhum - If only the local afternoon and evening winds comply, and very often they decide shut down at nightfall, then Roland Jourdain should be sailing towards his second successive victory in the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale's coveted IMOCA Open 60 Class, which would be the first time a monohull skipper has won twice in a row.

At 1600hrs (CET/Paris) this afternoon Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) was working slowly but steadily in the light and very fickle 6 kts SEly breeze and looked to have built himself enough of a margin to account for some of the evening shut down, but bearing in mind the Farr designed IMOCA Open 60 has shown speeds of between 1 knot and 10 knots today, it may will still be a long night.

It would mark a well earned honours for both the popular skipper and the boat.

Since his 2006 win, Jourdain had to abandon when leading the final stages of the Vendée Globe and also when he was dismasted in tthe 2007 Barcelona World Race.

And one year ago today, the boat –as BT – was knocked down north of the Azores during the Transat Jacques Vabre, requiring the helicopter rescue of co-skippers Sébastien Josse and Jean-François Cuzon, and the boat was salvaged after a difficult touch and go operation and required major repairs to the coachroof.

But the solo skipper from Finistère warned today that it comes with the job to be vigilant to the end. But with a margin of some 77 miles now over Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air) and less than 65 miles to the finish, Jourdain will gain confidence with every hard earned mile.

Le Cléach has been Jourdain's most regular adversary, holding second place for most of this transatlantic race, in turn with a strong strategic position on the water as well as a 36 miles advance on third placed Jean_Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3).

Latest estimates have Jourdain arriving just before midnight (CET/Paris) time, or mid evening in Point-à-Pitre, but that is subject to the light breeze holding out.

In the Multi 50 Class Lionel Lemonchois is clear ahead now on Prince de Bretagne with a lead of 65 miles over Lalou Roucayrol (Région Aquitaine – Port Médoc) but 2006's overall race winner was looking for a strategy over their final 300 miles which would also allow himself to keep Roucayrol covered on the same stretch of water. Lemonchois was sailing a very different race to the 2006 edition which he won and set the course record, noting sagely today that usually the mileage they had remaining would be counted down in hours, but this time so light, fickle and changeable is the weather pattern that it could be days.

In the Rhum class Franco-American skipper Étienne Giroire was awaiting help this afternoon after his small 12.18m trimaram ATNinc.com capsized. The solo skipper is reported to be well, positioned 1500 miles from Guadeloupe and 900 miles from the Azores. Giroire has inflated his liferaft and is alongside his boat.

Conditions were reported at the time to be relatively fair, 10-15 knots of wind and small seas. MMCC Portugal are coordinating rescue, and a cargo vessel is expected to be diverted in the coming hours.

Andrea Mura leads the Rhum class by over 122 miles and reported today that he is hoping for the return of the very noticeably absent trade winds, before he finishes into Guadelope.

Long time leader Thomas Ruyant (Destination Dunkerque) said today that he was hoping that the outcome of the Class 40 race does not go down to a head to head match race in to Guadeloupe against Nico Troussel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne). Troussel's ascent of the leaderboard has been consistent since he paid an heavy initial tax for splitting from the main group which went north over the Azores high.

Troussel is in second now, is 85.4 miles behind Ruyant who passed under 900 miles to go this afternoon.

Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement):
'What's done so far is good. It is hotting up all the time. The breeze is light and fickle. It was up in the morning but just faded away. I don't know when it will come back. And I don't know when this race will end. 96 miles at 1 knot is...96 hours and even at twice that speed it is still 48 hours.

The beginning of the night was really nice with nice conditions. Really I don't ask much but at one moment I just ended up dropping off to sleep. There were a couple of birds and I just told them to mind the shop and dozed off, pulled down the shutters for a while, went to sleep.

It comes with the job to fear you opposition until the end. I will always have an eye in the rear view mirror.

The nice weather files are telling us we will have winds from the SE, E, one thing. This is the adventure, the unknown. After all the changes of weather, the strategy, I am going to be done in when I arrive. And I promise I am doing my best to arrive quickly.'

Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3):
'There is not a lot of wind, there is not even a ripple on the sea, and there a bit of swell and so I have to be a bit careful of the sails because they are slatting. It is very tiring, not easy and I just don't know how much longer this will last. It will be long and tiring. There are still options. The seas are good, the skies are nice, this sailing is nice. There is a lot of tiredness brought on, you need to stay focused and concentrated. So you need to pick when you can go to sleep, make sure you have the best sail combinations, there are plenty of questions always in the head of the single handed sailor. That would be interesting to analyse them. But that is not easy to deal with, we have to think of so many details. I am doing all I can to sail in good conditions and at the same time manage the fleet which I am sailing against here.

If I sail well and Bilou has some bad luck then maybe. But at the moment it is not the situation I find myself in. Bye.'

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia):
'It's not bad to be in this light trade wind... It's quiet, relaxing, you can sleep, take a nap on the sails! If you can't be fast why not profit from this atmosphere? If everything goes right I could be overtook ... This is what the grib files say, we'll see. I don't want to be at sea for too long! Looks like we could have some wind to the finish and I have to take the boat to Fort de France on Wednesday at noon. So, cross the line, have a drink and leave once more!'

Lionel Lemonchois (Prince de Bretagne):
'It is complicated. The wind is going in all directions. To find the right shift you need to be patient. We (Lalou Roucayrol) are not that close, not really in the same conditions, like we were sailing against each other but I am trying to get close to him so that I can keep myself between him and Guadeloupe, to control him. Anything can happen. It is not going too badly. There is still a bit of a margin. 300 miles still to go should not offer too many big surprises. We can make it.'

Yesterday the boats were hurting a bit with cross seas and since then it has been really quiet, but now there is a big sun, I check the boat regularly and I cant see anything to worry about, no cracks and that is a good sign.'

Nicolas Troussel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne):
'I managed to put myself back in a good position now, slowly but surely. I am a bit stuffed in the fickle winds. We are not in the same weather as the IMOCA's. The weather is changing all the time, day by day, and it is looking better. I need to compromise.'

Thomas Ruyant (Destination Dunkerque):
'I am heading like I planned. The boat is suffering a bit in these conditions. We have a little low that went away quickly. I dealt with it in the north to get some more wind, but at one point I was in the centre, which was quite unusual, beautiful and frightening at the same time. It was really memorable. I hope the finish wont be down to a match race with Nico. What I have to make sure about is that I don't break anything. That is a priority. I think there could still be some strong winds and seas with them. But at the moment I just keep on doing what I am doing at the moment, but I did not think that Nicolas would get out of the situation so well. He is really fast and is getting closer but I am really happy with my position at the moment

I don't have much idea about the finish into Guadeloupe, that all seems a bit uncertain to me.'

Andrea Mura (Vento di Sardegna):
'It is all good, the weather is good and the water is warmer at 26 degrees. And that is nice. I am controlling him very well but he is fast, very fast and is closer to me but I think that down here in the south I have better wind than him up in the north, I expect to arrive before the 17th but there is no wind and so I cant be sure.Maybe the tradewinds will be in for the 18th.'

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