Transat Jacques Vabre: Nov 1 - Slow progress by race leaders
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz 1 Nov 2023 22:32 AEDT
Ultim Banque Populaire XI, makes slow progress during the Transat Jacques Vabre, on October 31, 202 - Day 4 © Banque Populaire
On the morning of November 1, the five giant Ultims were still racing and had closed in on Madeira.
Francois Gabart and Tom Laperche SVR Lazartigue still led the race at 1130UTC on Nov 1, but only by a 0.6nm margin over Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israel Maxi Edmund de Rothschild with Armel le Cleach and Sebastien Josse on Maxi Banque Populaire XI a further 2.2nm back.
Earlier the front four boats were near becalmed, but at 1130UTC they were sailing at speeds of just over 5.5kts.
The race leader has only sailed just over 8.4nm in the past four hours, averaging just 1.4kts.
A course change has been made by the organisers requiring the Ultims to pass to starboard of the island of Porto Santo (Madeira), in an apparent effort to keep them out of reach of the lurking Atlantic storms to the north.
While the Ultim class are frustrated by a lack of wind, the dichotomy of the race is that the remaining three classs are pinned down in two French ports, by gale force westerly winds, and are yet to start.
The three fleets - IMOCA60, Ocean 50 and Class 40 totaling 89 boats are still pinned in Le Harve (IMOCA60) and Lorient (Ocean 50 and Class40), by strong Westerly winds which are expected to last until Sunday morning, otherwise Monday, unless a weather window opens which allows the crew to make a start.