Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2020 Tubes 728x90 TOP

Bermudes 1000 Race: Drag race towards the Azores

by IMOCA Globe Series 12 May 2019 18:20 PDT 13 May 2019
Bermudes 1000 Race © David Branigan / Oceansport

The 17 competitors in the Bermudes 1000 Race Douarnenez-Brest suspected that this 2,000-mile test would be both comprehensive and complicated. And they haven't been disappointed! After a tactical start to the race in light airs for the climb up to Fastnet Rock, the situation has seen a dramatic change since last night.

The IMOCAs are now powering along at full speed (nearly 20 knots for the leaders) towards the Azores in a SE'ly breeze, which has picked up significantly and will continue to fill in before it eases again midway through tonight. Life aboard is wet and heeled over and a good balance needs to be found for racking up miles without putting the gear under too much strain. This evening, Sébastien Simon is still controlling the fleet with a lead of a little over 50 miles in relation to Boris Herrmann.

"It's like being in a submarine". Finnish sailor Ari Huusela nicely sums up life aboard the IMOCAs, powering along at full pace across seas with a deepening swell in a SE'ly wind of 25 knots gusting higher. In these conditions, the boats are really slamming, the skippers are confined to their cabins and any manoeuvres up on deck have been reduced to the bare minimum. The videos sent from on-board are wet with an impressive wake.

"Getting used to life heeled over again"

"There's a cold, heeled over, wet atmosphere on Groupe Sétin. The wind kicked in as forecast midway through last night and it was important to manœuvre, adapt our sails to the new breeze and get used to life heeled over again", writes Manuel Cousin. For the first time since the start in Douarnenez last Thursday, the gear is suffering. "I've put in a second reef in the mainsail and it's a lot more comfortable", explains Boris Herrmann. The utmost vigilance is a must if they are to avoid straying off the track. Exhausted but happy to be ticking off the miles, the racers are tempering their ardour, as testified by Fabrice Amedeo: "I've opted for a prudent sail configuration, but the boat's still flying. It's just incredible. I'm happy because I'm just about managing to get some rest and above all I'm trying not to lose sight of my main objective, which is to go all the way and validate everything that needs it."

Conditions favourable for the foilers; game on for everyone

In this 'straight line' drag race, there are no clear options to take. Even though the angle in relation to the wind is relatively tight, those competitors on foilers can rely on their appendages to gain a few precious knots. Sébastien Simon is still the firm leader with a lead of over 50 miles ahead of Boris Herrmann, who had Sam Davies and Yannick Bestaven on his tail at the 17:00 hour polling. Aboard IMOCAs with classic, straight daggerboards, Damien Seguin, Maxime Sorel and Stéphane Le Diraison are hanging on in there remarkably well, though Fabrice Amedeo and Giancarlo Pedote are managing to eat into their lead. Clément Giraud and Manuel Cousin are also trying hard to stave off an attack from another foiler, that of Arnaud Boissières. The five competitors bringing up the rear (Miranda Merron, Ari Huusela, Alexia Barrier, Pip Hare and Denis Van Weynbergh) were grouped within around thirty miles of one another at 17:00 hours.

The leaders expected to make the Azores waypoint on Tuesday evening

The SE'ly wind propelling the sailors along will strengthen over the course of the evening with rough seas and gusts of 35 knots, the latter set to ease in the middle of the night as it shifts round to the S/SE and then the South (17-23 knots). In the early hours, the wind will drop away again to 5 to 8 knots, at which point tactics will be crucial once more!

The Top 5 at 17:00 hours (French time) Sunday 12 May:

1. Sébastien Simon (ARKEA PAPREC): 1,305.5 miles from the finish
2. Boris Herrmann (Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco): 52.2 miles behind the leader
3. Sam Davies (Initiatives Cœur): 63.5 miles behind the leader
4. Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ): 75.8 miles behind the leader
5. Maxime Sorel (V and B - Sailing Together): 83.5 miles behind the leader

View the next ranking here.

Related Articles

Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section. Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again? Posted on 4 Jul
2025 Transat Café L'OR is packed with surprises
73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th 73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandy. Posted on 4 Jul
Onboard reporters in the Course des Caps
Enjoying the challenge of bringing the race to life In the Course des Caps - Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, the Onboard Reporters, or OBRs, are back doing a wonderful job of bringing IMOCA racing to life with pictures, videos, interviews and reports from the boats. Posted on 3 Jul
Tom Dolan in the Course des Caps update
The IMOCA 60 Charal has "Switched to Full Throttle" Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan is now four days into racing aboard the high-performance IMOCA 60 Charal, skippered by French sailing legend Jérémie Beyou, as part of the prestigious Course des Caps. Posted on 3 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe to showcase new race tracker
Developed with PredictWind to revolutionise race coverage The Ocean Race, often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and widely recognised as a leader in impactful ocean health initiatives, and PredictWind, a global leader in marine weather forecasting, are collaborating on a new race tracker. Posted on 3 Jul
Oliver Heer confirms 2028 Vendée Globe ambition
The Swiss skipper aims to return for the 2028 edition of the legendary solo race with a newer boat After completing the Vendée Globe 2024 on his first attempt, Oliver Heer, the Swiss-German skipper of Tut gut Sailing, has confirmed his intention to return for the 2028 edition of the legendary solo race. Posted on 3 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race: Offshore classics set to race
IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it. While French round the world race legend Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (aka VDH) isn't competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, two of his former steeds will be on the IRC Zero start line. Posted on 2 Jul
Course des Caps Update: A promising start!
The eleven crews have begun their grand tour around the British Isles The Course des Caps - Boulogne-sur-Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, which set sail from the shores of northern France, marks the first race of the 2025 season and kicks off the new edition of the IMOCA Globe Series Championship. Posted on 2 Jul
Team Malizia starts Course Des Caps
Challenging race around the British Isles Team Malizia set sail today from Boulogne-sur-Mer, kicking off the inaugural Course des Caps race in light winds and challenging conditions with a solid start. Posted on 29 Jun
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMHenri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeSea Sure 2025