Globe40: The summit of the circumnavigation - "We are Cape Hoorniers now!"

On 28 February, the first four chasers of Ian Lipinski and Antoin Carpentier on "Credit Mutuel" passed Cape Horn a good 300 nautical miles behind the early leaders. The quartet of Globe40 chasers were separated by just over 20 nautical miles.

Cape Horn Parade at Globe40

Thibault Lefévère and Maxime Bourcier were the first to reach the longitude of Cape Horn on "Free Dom". They were followed by José Guilherme and Luiz Bolina on "Barco Brasil" and the after the early repair loop Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium with Jonas Gerckens and Corentin Douguet.

Goodbye Pacific, hello South Atlantic." Lisa Berger

Fourth in the quartet and fifth overall in the Globe40 fleet, Lisa Berger and Jade Edwards-Leaney enjoyed their first Cape Horn passage to the full. In pleasant to fresh winds, the Austrian and the Welshman popped a bottle of champagne off the legendary headland of the Chilean rocky island of Isla Hornos, raised their fists to the sky and celebrated what they had achieved so far for a few moments. Here is the latest clip from the "Wilson" crew.

The pride of being a Cape Hoornian

Lisa Berger said shortly before the Hoorn Passage: "It's so beautiful! Crazy beautiful! And Cape Horn is just round the corner. We can already see it a bit." Then the mark that is so magical for many sailors came into full view. Its dark grey outline stood out against the white-grey sky. "Lisa Berger commented on the images with fascination: "Yes, we've just passed Cape Horn! Cool! There it is. Look how marvellous it is. Now it's time for champagne. It's a good one..."

Two days earlier, the front-runners had already passed Cape Horn on "Crédit Mutuel". Ian Lipinski's co-skipper Antoine Carpentier had sent his assessment from the sea: "We've finally rounded Cape Horn! We are Cape Horners, yay! It's a bit bittersweet to say that, because we sailors have spent a lifetime braving storms, mainly on the oceans around Europe! So many miles travelled before we reached this holy grail!"

Antoine Carpentier continued: "Thanks to Ian for trusting me, thanks to Crédit Mutuel for letting us live our dream. We changed oceans, it's not something you can write every day. For us, the Cape Horn Passage was idyllic: beautiful weather, calm seas, as we like to say. A moment that will stay with me forever, and the icing on the cake is that we are leading stage 5!"

After the Cape Horn passage: tough times for "Crédit Mutuel"

In the meantime, Lipinski and Carpentier are already sailing up the Atlantic. The tracker shows the huge leadwhich the French team with its fast scow-bug Class40 has earned ahead of the field. The destination is the Brazilian port of Recife - the penultimate stop in the Globe40 before the sixth leg takes the fleet of Class40 two-handed crews back to the start and finish harbour of Lorient.

Antoine Carpentier reported on his team's Atlantic "ascent": "Since we passed Cape Horn, the wind has picked up and the boat is being put to the test with short, choppy seas and a three-quarter downwind course. It's difficult to find the right settings and sails." According to Carpentier, whose crew was already sailing south of the Falkland Islands at the time of the Cape Horn passage of the four chasers, the wind varies quite a lot in intensity.

Carpentier wrote: "Life on board is not pleasant at the moment, but that's actually a good sign. It's a sign that we have wind, and judging by the weather forecasts, that won't often be the case on this leg across the South Atlantic." Lipinski and Carpentier were by no means certain of victory on this Cape Horn leg, despite their 300 nautical mile lead.

Exciting scenario in the battle for the Globe40 victory

Antoine Carpentier commented: "It's a long course and there are many pitfalls. The forecasts change quite a lot from day to day; we'll need a bit of luck to keep our first place. We're looking forward to warmer weather, to drying our clothes." Within ten days, as Antoine Carpentier put it, "we will miss the current cold". And added cheerfully: "These sailors are never satisfied either!" Click here for the Globe40 intermediate classification after four stages.

The last two crews active in Globe40 are also expected off Cape Horn on Sunday night. Melodie Schaffer and co-skipper Paul Stratfold are leading by less than 20 nautical miles ahead of the British "Jangada" with Richard Palmer and Rupert Holmes. The current situation is exciting for the battle for overall victory in the Globe40 because "Crédit Mutuel" started the fifth leg two points behind Team Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium.

If the "Crédit Mutuel" crew can bring the stage win to the finish, Lipinski and Co. could turn the tables and start the final stage to Lorient as leaders. How many points they can take into the final sprint as a cushion - if they succeed - also depends on the current stage result for the Belgians, who have worked their way back up to the field in impressive fashion and will do everything they can to get closer to "Crédit Mutuel" again.

The German Class40 on course for Recife

Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink will also be back in action in the showdown on the Lorient course, after their exit on stage three want to attack again and finish the race in style. The first 1000 nautical miles of her South Atlantic crossing Melwin Fink and his transfer crew had already made it to Recife before the start of the weekend. It cannot be ruled out that they will play an important role in the duel for the Globe40 triumph between the French and Belgians, even without their own chance of a podium finish.