Nice UltiMed: Sodebo beyond reproach, IDEC clings on
by A.S.O. / Nice UltiMed 3 May 2018 10:38 PDT
25 April - 6 May 2018
IDEC Sport clings on - Nice UltiMed © Jean-Marie Liot / ASO
It's been a lively day for the crews of Sodebo Ultim' and IDEC SPORT, who have covered the 325 miles between Marseille and the South of Sardinia in just 12 hours, which equates to an average speed of 27 knots on a direct course.
The Nice UltiMed "Offshore Sprint" is certainly aptly named! Thomas Coville's crew crossed the second compulsory passage mark (Capo Spartivento) at 2:55pm, 1hr45 before that of Francis Joyon. This deficit is far from crippling with over 500 miles still to go this evening. In the meantime, the two giant trimarans will have to beat up the eastern seaboards of Sardinia and Corsica. Tomorrow afternoon they're set to pass in front of Nice, before looping back towards Marseille and then crossing the finish line in Nice on Saturday afternoon off Rauba Capeù.
When they're fully powered up, modern maxi trimarans alter the notion of distance. Sodebo Ultim' and IDEC SPORT are proving this in the Nice UltiMed, since they've taken barely a dozen hours to get from Marseille to Capo Spartivento, to the South of Sardinia, which amounts to 325 nautical miles. Indeed, it is in a sustained breeze (over 30 knots) and on chaotic seas that the twelve sailors (six per boat) have devoured the Mediterranean racetrack this Thursday.
1hr45 separation at the Capo Spartivento mark
Last night, Sodebo Ultim' rounded the first passage mark off Marseille (Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region mark) with a lead of just 28 minutes over IDEC SPORT. Since then, the high-speed sleigh ride down towards the South of Sardinia has enabled the leader to increase his lead. Coville and his crew haven't lost their nerve, racking up a great speed and putting in some well-timed gybes to reposition themselves. An efficient mix of top offshore racers and fine inshore racers familiar with close-contact battles, the crew of Sodebo Ultim' are right on top of their game and for now they're managing to stave off Francis Joyon's steed. It was at 2.55pm (local time) that Sodebo Ultim' rounded the second course mark to the South of Sardinia (Capo Spartivento), followed 1hr45 later by Francis Joyon and his crew (rounding at 2:40pm).
Passing in front of Nice tomorrow afternoon
After slipping along nicely downwind, the two crews are now launched into an upwind beat along the eastern seaboards of Sardinia and Corsica in more manageable wind and sea conditions. The leaders are expected at the Porto Vecchio mark between 03:00am and 04:00am local time on Friday morning and they're set to round Cap Corse later that same morning. The hop back towards mainland Europe will involve a reach in a sustained breeze. Covering the one hundred miles or so between Cap Corse and Nice will only take the Ultimes a few hours. As such, the crews will sweep back in front of Nice between 11:00am and 4:00pm local time tomorrow (an estimate that will be narrowed down the closer the boats get). From there, they'll loop back to Marseille a second time before making straight for Nice and the finish line on Saturday afternoon. The public in Nice will have two more opportunities to see the two Ultimes up close again.
Radio link-up with Bernard Stamm, crew on IDEC SPORT: "The downwind sprint between Marseille and the South of Sardinia was very bracing. The wind peaked at 40 knots, which very quickly led to chaotic seas. We had to put in several gybes to reposition ourselves. In such a strong wind, this manœuvre isn't very easy on an Ultime so we were very careful not to break anything. Sodebo Ultim' got the upper hand before the Marseille mark and then she was a little bit quicker than us downwind. We're hanging on in there though and we're staying focused to put in some solid tacks and get the boat making headway as best we can."