GUYOT environnement - Team Europe: Time for attack
by Offshore Team Germany 19 Jan 2023 08:37 PST
The Ocean Race Leg 1 onboard GUYOT environnement - Team Europe © Charles Drapeau / GUYOT environnement - Team Europe
GUYOT environnement - Team Europe is back in full racing mode in The Ocean Race, racing past the Canaries in attack style on their way to Cape Verde.
After the damage to the mainsail was repaired and the black yacht could be chased through the waves at full speed again, the crew of skipper Benjamin Dutreux and co-skipper Robert Stanjek decided to leave the route of the competitors and take the tactical option when sailing through between Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.
The crew used the first few hours after replacing the two broken battens in the mainsail amid the flying spray and later patching the cut in the sail to recharge their energy stores with sleep and food. For the first time since the first night at sea, the crew of Dutreux, Stanjek, Annie Lush, Phillip Kasüske and OBR Charles Drapeau were able to return to their normal rhythm of watches, seeing themselves at 100 percent, but by now lagging far behind their competitors.
Despite all efforts to push the boat hard, it quickly became apparent that the large gap to the other yachts was hard to close with the route heading west. "We decided to jibe south to pass between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. This will keep us closer to the rumb line with more options to play some shifts later on. The team is fighting so hard to come back", reported the crew from on board. There is no reason to let up. Skipper Benjamin Dutreux: "We don't give up, keep pushing hard and we'll see at the end, in Cabo Verde!"