Globe40 Leg 3 Update: Credit Mutuel takes the lead at the Bass Strait
by Sirius Events 8 Dec 23:44 PST
9 December 2025
Credit Mutuel - GLOBE40 © Jean-Marie Liot / Globe40
Today, Tuesday 9th December, Ian Lipinski and Amélie Grassi, aboard CREDIT MUTUEL, will be at the head of stage 3 of the GLOBE40 at the entrance to the Bass Strait at the end of the day (around 07.00 UTC). The archipelago that separates mainland Australia from Tasmania marks the end of their journey in the Great Australian Bight, this immense body of water south of the central and western coasts of South Australia; a course of nearly 1300 miles in a direct line from the southern limit of the race course located at 46 degrees S.
Having taken the lead at the longitude of Cape Leeuwin on 5 December at 08.29 UTC with a lead of 50 miles over BELGIUM OCEAN RACING - CURIUM, the French crew was quickly caught up by the Belgians, who came back to within 1 mile with a new low pressure system on 6 December at 09.00 UTC; Then, in a long downwind tack in a strong wind, the two crews set off on different options, with the Belgians favouring the southern part of the race zone. Tactical skill or technical problems on the part of their competitor, the phase was quite favourable to the French crew, who approached the Bass Strait with a lead of 100 miles, an unprecedented lead never seen since the start of the event over their favourite duelist.
Is it as much to say that victory will smile on them on this stage 3 after a finish in Reunion Island that left some bitterness? Tonight they still have nearly 600 miles to go between the islands of Bass Strait, an area known to be difficult, and lighter winds towards the finish in Sydney: caution is therefore required in the forecasts in view of the many twists and turns (28 changes of leaders since the start in Reunion Island) already observed in this leg or in the previous ones. Who will enter the lead on Thursday 11 / Friday 12 in the famous Sydney Harbour? A bay that, in these last days before the start of Sydney-Hobart on December 26th, is full of all sizes of yachts in training before the cannon of the mythical race.
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