So it will last until the end.
Incredible 12th edition of the Route du rhum which offers total suspense to its protagonists in the direct thread of the very first crossing won by Mike Birch's trimaran by a mere 98 seconds in front of Michel Malinovski's monohull.
Recently deceased, the Canadian must appreciate the show but also have a little fun …
To discover
Route du Rhum: live, the positions and rankings of the boats on the cartography of the 12th edition
After the arrival this Saturday of Arthur Le Vaillant, the eco-friendly sailor who will take 6th place in Class Ultim (32 meters), it is the small Ocean Fifty trimarans (15 meters) which will join the sunny shores of Guadeloupe.
And this Saturday the battle continues to rage between Quentin Vlamynck (Arkema) and Erwan Le Roux (Koesio) separated by only 42 miles in the 8 hour classification while the two sailors have to string together maneuvers in very unstable trade winds and in the middle of the grains, hoping to reach Guadeloupe this Sunday.
27 dropouts
"
It's a bit annoying to have Erwan on your heels, especially since the weather is complicated
“, admitted the leader of this class which had 8 boats at the start and now only has six.
To date, moreover, 27 sailors have officially retired and there are therefore 106 boats in the race.
Including just behind the Ocean Fifty, the Imoca monohulls, those of the Vendée Globe which are also engaged in a battle that is anything but pitched as the sailors are struggling in these really rotten weather conditions.
And like those who preceded them, the two sailors at the top of the ranking have no other solution than to multiply the gybes (tacks in the downwind) to try to make a difference that they continue to deny themselves.
22 miles separate the Northerner Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) from the Norman and big favorite Charlie Dalin (Apivia) 765 miles from Guadeloupe, their arrival being scheduled for Monday morning.
pink notebook
“
It continues to draw edges.
One thing is certain: we will be up to speed on the gybes when we arrive in Pointe-à-Pitre!
We try to find the right path in the trade winds but they are very changeable.
They've gone up a notch in terms of intensity, but they're still not super stable.
We play at taking the small seesaws, the small accelerations, the clouds… There is plenty to do
,” commented Jérémie Beyou (Charal), third at 61 miles and slightly behind, during the session.
Tanguy Le Turquais (Lazare) is located much further away, 14th at 546 miles from the leader but this Saturday it is he who is also making the news on the Route du rhum, his companion Clarisse Crémer (12th in the last Vendée Globe in signing the best women's time in history) having given birth to a baby girl.
A happy event on the transatlantic bereaved by the death of two members of the organization upon the arrival of Charles Caudrelier.
