The Concarneau-Saint-Barth double-handed Transat fleet is making progress at around 9 knots this Sunday off Portugal ahead of the cold front of a disturbance.
The first twelve Figaro 3 (out of 18 competitors) are standing in five miles and the battle is raging in front.
At 10:00 am, Tom Laperche and Loïs Berrehar (Bretagne-CMB Performance) were still leading the race, less than a mile (0.9) ahead of Martin Le Pape and Yann Eliès (Keep the sight), new second.
The duos Pierre Leboucher-Thomas Rouxel (Guyot environment-Ruban Rose) and Pierre Quiroga-Erwan Le Draoulec (Skipper Macif) shared 3rd place (+1.3), by nothing ahead of Alexis Loison-Guillaume Pirouelle (Normandy region ) and Nils Palmieri-Julien Villion (TeamWork) (+1.4).
More lenient conditions
Marked by the grueling first days, the Figarists regain their strength in a weakening wind (7-10 knots) before attacking the trade winds.
“Since yesterday, we have felt the wind ease, that's it, we are winning in the south.
We are relieved to have better conditions.
We will be able to start to have more fun and to dry off.
We're finally going to be flat, that changes everything.
We will be able to live on board, it will be less humid, we will tidy up and clean the boat, ”says Estelle Greck, 15th with Laurent Givry on RLC Sailing.
Dance with an orca
Others enjoy pretty gifts from Mother Nature. Thus, Laperche and Berrehar had, Sunday morning, the surprise of being accompanied on their journey by an orca. Over several miles, the cetacean danced around the keel of the monohull and followed the duo of skippers who immortalized this strange waltz thanks to the camera attached under the hull and their smartphone. The leaders were undoubtedly also relieved to see the surprise visitor not coming to rub his muscles with carbon, as happens regularly in ocean racing, especially in the Vendée Globe. Sometimes with considerable damage.
Wow!
Tom Laperche and @L_Berrehar had visitors this morning around their Figaro Bénéteau 3 @TeamBretagneCMB Performance!
A rather playful-minded orca accompanied the duo for a few miles, magical # TED21pic.twitter.com / txmrax6xuh
- La Transat en Double Concarneau - Saint-Barthélemy (@TransatEnDouble) May 16, 2021
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