The experienced Thomas Coville (Sodebo) took back 2nd place on Saturday in the Ultim Challenge, a solo round-the-world race between multihulls, from Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) who was stopped in Brazil to repair his ship.
Coville, overtaken by
"the jackal"
Le Cléac'h off the coast of Australia at the beginning of February, has found wind again in recent days, moving up the South Atlantic at a sustained speed towards the equator.
Above all, he benefited from the stroke of fate suffered by the skipper Banque Populaire between Thursday and Friday, victim of two rudder damage in 48 hours, forcing him to stop in Rio to assess the damage and try to leave within a few days. future.
“The team (Banque Populaire) arrived on site, they sent equipment to try to repair and find solutions
,” Guillaume Evrard from the race director said in a press release.
Far to the north, above the equator, race leader Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) continued to head towards Brest.
He was expected at the finish line around February 24, according to the latest estimates.
At the rear of the fleet, Eric Péron (Adagio) continued to gain ground on Anthony Marchand, slowed down by a depression off Point Némo.