The race organisers of the Course des Caps have announced a change to the regatta route around the British Isles. The originally planned route has been shortened by 220 nautical miles, which shifts the finish of the top boats forward by around twelve hours. Instead of as originally planned Out Stack, the northernmost point of the Shetland archipelago, the new route now leads around the islands of Papa Westray and Ronalsay to the north of the Orkney Islands. This adjustment reduces the overall distance by around 220 nautical miles.
Customisation for a spectacular finish
The reason for this last-minute route change lies in the scheduling: due to the calm at the beginning, the forecast arrival time was extended. As a result of the shortening, the first boats are now expected to arrive in the finish harbour of Boulogne-sur-Mer on Saturday afternoon instead of the following night. This allows the finish to coincide with the arrival of the Tour de France cycling pros in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The organisers hope that this double sporting event will provide a special spectacle for spectators and the media.
Malizia in midfield - exciting race at the top
In the current race, the Malizia - Seaexplorer with British skipper Will Harris and his crew is in fifth place. An exciting duel has developed at the head of the field: British skipper Sam Goodchild is leading the race with "Macif", followed by former "Malizia" navigator Nicolas Lunven from France on "Holcim - PRB" (+ 19 nm). The sister ship with Elodie Bonafour is close behind. (+ 22.8 nm). Boris Herrmann's boat is already further behind than yesterday, with "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skippered by Will Harris almost 50 nautical miles behind the leader.
Challenging conditions
The regatta has been characterised by changeable conditions so far. After a slow start with unstable winds and numerous tactical manoeuvres, the first boats reached the legendary Fastnet Rock on Wednesday night. From there, they will now head towards northern Scotland with increasing wind strength. The weather forecast promises ideal conditions for the Imoca yachts with a south-westerly current and winds of 20 to 25 knots.
Sam Goodchild, currently in the lead, predicts an interesting race for the coming days: "The long stretch between north-west Ireland and Scotland promises to be very fast, but also more favourable for certain boats such as 'Malizia - Seaexplorer' and others that are likely to come back strongly." This assessment gives hope for an exciting finale in which the current rankings could be shaken up once again.
Amedeo gives up
Fabrice Amedeo, skipper of "FDJ United - Wewise", was forced to abandon the race and is now on his way back to Brittany. Amedeo explained his decision with the slow sailing conditions of the first three days, which made it impossible to meet the deadline of 6 July. He emphasised that 2025 was a transition year for him, during which he wanted to build a project for the Vendée Globe 2028. In order not to jeopardise these future plans, he decided to withdraw from the current race.
