It seems like the Big Bad Wolf is less so than usual.
Only the worst that can stop a boat, or even break a boat, it only slows it down this time.
The Doldrums.
This intertropical convergence zone located near the equator (the line that marks the separation between the northern hemisphere and the south, not the country).
And above all a sort of terrible meteorological swamp, a place of transition between the trade winds from the northeast and those coming from the south, which has stuck up and manhandled the boats since their appearance on earth.
Between squalls, calm, storms and often despair ...
So stroke of luck, it seems this year, the crossing of this horrible Doldrums seems to take place without drama, or total buffet stop.
The speeds of the first six boats fell but without upsetting the ranking either: 13 knots for Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss), who remains leader at the 5-hour score, 69 miles ahead of Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut) flashed at 8.5 knots, Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam) occupying third place on the podium at 11 knots and 111 miles from the lead.
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Just behind King Jean, author of a race start that will go down in history, (who would have bet on a place on the podium ten days after the start?), Charlie Dalin shows his fangs.
Less than four miles separated him from the triple winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, he who has never won it (but has accumulated the podiums).
During the day, he should eat Le Cam.
And it is he who has the morning session recounted the passage of the Doldrums: "" I had a squall at the beginning of the night, I saw some lightning, but it continues to go fast, I still have around 20 knots of wind.
I look at infrared images to distinguish cloud masses, grains;
it allows us to detect their extent, but not really to find the right route.
We'll see if it continues like this until the exit, but I'm still 150 miles from the equator and anything can happen ”.
From Alex Thomson to Benjamin Dutreux, ten sailors are head in the Pot this Wednesday morning.
And the others will follow.
Everyone scratching their heads, and begging their grigri, to get out of this big weather shit as quickly as possible, let's call a spade a spade, without breaking it.
And choosing a sail, when the wind can go from 0 to 25 knots in three seconds, is not easy.
Especially in oppressive heat, often around 30 degrees.
Charlie Dalin admits his thing: “I have a small fan.
And my other magic trick is a refillable sprayer that I fill with water from the watermaker ”.
One of the rare good times
Behind, for those who are not yet affected by the Doldrums, the day promises to be rather bright, in these strong and stable trade winds.
Since Tuesday, videos have poured in from the sea showing happy sailors, satisfied, in t-shirts and shorts and offering themselves restorative showers after a more than agitated first week.
May they take advantage of it.
It's the right (and rare) time to travel around the world.
“Now I have to go my way alone. It is also an introspective path ”
Obviously for the very retarded, like Fabrice Amedeo (Newrest- Art & Fenêtres) and Jérémie Beyou (Charal), it is not the same story.
Departing from Les Sables d'Olonne on Tuesday afternoon, the Breton must regain confidence in his former war-wounded boat, and rebuild morale.
Nothing obvious.
““ I'm going on tiptoe with the equipment, I went a little south to avoid getting too windy with the arrival of the front.
It's very weird, I'm used to having competitors around me and now, we can't call it a race.
But I want to do it right.
I was carried by the enthusiasm, the encouragement and the messages of all the people who supported me.
Now I have to go my way alone.
It is also an introspective path.
And I have to do it for me ”.
Good luck.
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