Barco Brasil take the 'Sharps' lead in the Globe40 at Reunion Islands

The 'Sharps' Class40 in the Globe40: Barco Brasil © Sirius Events

The Brazilian competitor BARCO BRASIL (Class40 151) crossed the finish line in Saint Paul Bay on Reunion Island yesterday at 05:47 UTC after 36 days, 14 hours, and 47 minutes of racing from Cape Verde in this second leg of the GLOBE40.

It covered 8,079 nautical miles at an average speed of 9.2 knots. Fourth in the overall standings for this leg, he thus takes the lead in the ranking of the older generation of Class40 "sharps" boats (at least 5 years old) than the new generation of Class40 "scows" (round bow) boats that have appeared in large numbers since 2019.

Arriving 6 days and 16 hours after the first competitor, the "scow" BELGIUM OCEAN RACING - CURIUM, the Brazilian project of José Guilherme Caldas and Luiz Bolina, could have seen this gap reduced considerably were it not for the succession of calms since rounding the South African coast and the passage up towards Reunion Island, due to a particularly extensive Mascarene High. Upon rounding the Cape of Good Hope, after 5,412 miles of racing or 80% of the leg distance, he was only 4 days and 15 hours behind the leader. On the route to Reunion Island, he had even reduced his deficit to 827 miles by October 30th.

For José Caldas, completing this round-the-world race in a Class40 is the culmination of a long history and a dream nurtured for many years. A renowned neurosurgeon in Brazil, he has always had a deep-rooted passion for offshore sailing. A former winner of the Cape Town-Rio race, and owner of three Class40s, he wanted to maximize his chances and develop a competitive project by acquiring number 151, a Mach40.3, already known as the previous Aïna project and second in the 2018 Route du Rhum. For Luiz Bolina, who came from a dinghy sailing background, offshore racing is a more recent experience, but he quickly adapted to the pace, becoming passionate about weather forecasting and mastering the essential Adrena navigation software.

Present in the overall standings alongside the "scows," the "sharps," which have their own overall ranking, play a vital role in the race. They compete alongside the professional crews, contributing to the race's competitiveness, and above all, the diverse profiles of their skippers give this great human and sporting adventure its true meaning.

The next sharps to arrive in Réunion, in order of the current standings, are WILSON AROUND THE WORLD (172 miles away), the Réunion team FREE DOM (271 miles), JANGADA RACING (392 miles), and WHISKEY JACK (436 miles). They are expected between tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning, according to the latest routing.

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