On board
Express,
They knew it, the appetizer of their trip to Loire-Atlantique was going to be relatively invigorating.
The 33 skippers set off from Hauts-de-France while a west-south-west wind of around 20 knots swept over the area of the line.
Without false note, the President of the Race Committee can announce: good start!
A spectacle that was able to benefit from the many boaters present for this first in the waters of Dunkirk.
The start of their tacking along the coast and the zone closed to navigation could then begin.
Broad outlines
Shortly before setting off, Xavier Macaire (SNEF Group), second in the general classification at 37 '30' 'from Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire), knew the main lines of the program but not the complete outline: " It will be complex and comprehensive.
Already this departure from Dunkirk that we do not really know.
Then with tacking, a high pressure bubble to apprehend, the Raz Blanchard, Barfleur, a depression also to manage.
North Brittany, the Iroise Sea, South Brittany with still a high pressure ridge and its changing winds.
A lot of transition therefore with all the complicated waypoints that we rarely do on the same stage.
All this is not to displease me.
It's a little stressful because there is something at stake, anything can happen.
And at the end, we are still in the dark.
"
“This stage is going to be complicated and a lot of things will happen. We do not know what differences there will be at the finish. ”
Martin Le Pape
Martin Le Pape (Stargardt Foundation), sixth to almost an hour behind the leader, was happy to leave.
Pleasure should be its driving force: “I am happy to go to battle on this stage which will be completely decisive.
It's going to be complicated and a lot of things are going to happen.
We do not know what differences there will be on arrival.
Until the first mark, the Daffodils buoy near Dieppe, it should be fine.
But after that, it will probably be the lottery.
It will therefore be necessary to be opportunistic in trying to stay ahead.
Let your instinct speak and not be stuck with the weather files that you had at the start.
My current place doesn't mean much.
It would even be silly to take the standings to want to score anyone.
The goal is also for me to have fun.
"
Unknown
Gildas Mahé (Breizh Cola) was like his companions, ready to enter the unknown of this stage of all dangers.
Secretly wishing to be one of the leaders: “The cocktail that is offered to us will make a beautiful winner.
As usual, but there, particularly.
I don't know if there will be crying, but it will be strategically very complicated because there will be many windless areas, especially when arriving at the tip of Brittany.
We will have to look at the barometer, analyze the weather reports broadcast twice a day by the race director.
And also watch the opponents.
The elastic or accordion effects will punctuate the race between areas of softness and areas of wind.
The goal will be to stay zen all the time.
There will also be long downwind edges where the speed difference will be significant.
This will be a great step for sure.
As it might be a bit long, I took a bit more water.
"
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The wind would calm down as the evening progressed.
Well rested after four days of stopover in Dunkirk, the sailors were going to redouble their energy so as not to be left behind.
The road will be long since the last routings saw them arrive in the Loire estuary at best on Tuesday evening.
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