Route du Rhum: Ultim podium complete, Boris is pushed to the back of the pack
Andreas Fritsch
· 17.11.2022
Gabart crossed the finish line in his elegant, futuristic "SVR Lazartigue" tri yesterday afternoon around three hours after Charles Caudrelier. This is the second time in a row that he has come second in the Ultim class of the Route du Rhum, having been beaten by a hair's breadth (7 minutes) by Francis Joyon in the last edition.
Just under seven hours after Gabart, Thomas Coville crossed the finish line with "Sodebo Ultime". He would actually have been closer, but on the west side of Guadeloupe the Frenchman unfortunately got his boat caught in a fishing net, had to stop the tri completely and struggled for two hours to free himself from the net. He later crossed the line at 30 knots in the trade winds.
The finish was overshadowed by a tragic accident: a motorboat belonging to the race organiser capsized with eleven people on board during a trip to the Tris, and two people lost their lives. It is still unclear exactly how the accident occurred.
The Imoca field of the Route du Rhum is split
Meanwhile, the race on the Atlantic continues unabated, and the huge and not very clearly defined Azores High is really wearing on the nerves of the Imoca skippers, as Jérémie Beyou reports from on board his "Charal":
"The wind is not easy to read. There are huge differences in strength and wind angle on the water. Sometimes it's 20 knots, and then it stops completely. You have to listen carefully to the boat all the time and make the most of the wind, constantly adjusting the sail plan. (...) It's definitely not over yet. There's still a long way to go, there are still many possible potholes before the finish!"
Jérémie Beyou
One of these is known to be the prescribed race route around the west side of Guadeloupe. Because of the high mountains there, there is often a dead calm at night. If the leading boat has to pass at night, it can park up and the competition can fly in with the trade wind behind it. If they then arrive in the light, things can get exciting again.
Although his lead over Thomas Ruyant's "Linked Out" has shrunk to just 27 miles (yesterday it was over 70), the leader Charlie Dalin feels comfortable in his own skin. "I've been in a nice harmony with my boat since the start of the season. It's rare to reach this level of completeness." At the moment it looks as if Dalin is entering the trade winds at the same time as his pursuers, which would mean that the gap to the chasers does not automatically widen again because he reaches the stronger wind first.
Paul Meilhat is also happy with his brand-new "Biotherm", on which he had only been sailing for 15 days before the race and was in fourth place in a sensationally good race.
"The latest generation of Imocas are impressive, the improvement on the wind is simply enormous. Of course, we experience the problems you have with such young boats, we have to tinker, but nothing serious. I regularly check the structure of the boat, everything is fine."
Paul Meilhat
Boris repairs, the competition passes by
Meanwhile, Boris Herrmann is tragically stuck in the doldrums. After bobbing along for hours yesterday with less than three knots of speed, things aren't looking any better today. He has dropped to 24th place and is travelling at just five knots. His defensive start with smaller sails and the early deficit at Cape Finisterre are now taking their toll. The leaders and now the majority of the field are pulling away, a good position in the top 10 or even 15 hardly seems possible, especially as according to the forecast he will probably be stuck in the light wind for another six to nine hours today, while the leaders are already sailing in a light trade wind and gaining on him with 10 to 15 knots more speed. Tactically, he had made a mistake by positioning himself in the south-east of the field, just like Sam Davies, who is stuck with her new "Initatives Cœur" just like him. However, he was able to use the relative calm on board yesterday to repair the on-board computer, as he explains in a video from on board.
Even the leading group in the Class 40 is now closer to the finish than many Open 60s. There, the leader Yoann Richomme with his "Paprec Arkea", Xavier Macair ("Groupe SNEF") and Corentin Douguet ("Queguiner Innoveo") are battling it out for the podium places. Less than 30 miles separate the trio, so nothing has been decided yet. But they are also likely to get caught in a lull tomorrow.
