Transat CIC: Boris Herrmann moves up to second place in the final sprint - and attacks Richomme

The decision in the Transat CIC is getting closer, and Boris Herrmann is increasing the tension. On the seventh night of the race from Lorient to New York, the "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper moved up to second place a few hours after midnight. At the 9 o'clock update on Sunday morning, only 33 nautical miles separated the 42-year-old from leader Yoann Richomme. Just under 20 nautical miles ahead of third-placed Charlie Dalin ("Macif Santé Prévoyance") and more than 40 nautical miles ahead of "Initiatives-Cœur" soloist Sam Davies, Boris Herrmann was travelling faster than his two pursuers at the end of the first week at sea in the early hours of the morning.

I would love to win this damn race" (Yoann Richomme)

The battle for the podium places rages towards a decision. After a tough week in the Atlantic, there is no respite for the players in the final thriller. The day before, race leader Yoann Richomme had already said in a conversation with the organisers: "I'm feeling the pressure! I would love to win this damn race! It's so complicated to do everything right and the finish is still a long way off. I'm giving it my all. As I'm in the lead, every decision is more intense than I've ever felt before. I try to put things in perspective, think calmly and always be one step ahead."

Transat CIC: Skippers with a culture of high performance

He was not surprised by the race, explained Yoann Richomme: "When I see the list of competitors, I'm not really surprised. For example, I don't know how many 'Solitaire de Figaros' each of them has competed in, but they are skippers who have this culture of high performance. I knew it was going to be intense from start to finish, and it will be. I know that the group behind me will catch me if I make the slightest mistake. The level of athleticism has increased for everyone."

For safety reasons, the finish line of the Transat CIC is 120 miles off the coast of New York. Which is why the final act of the race is celebrated as a direct sprint to the line. The Imoca fleet will sail along the southern boundary of a huge exclusion zone, which Yoann Richomme came within two nautical miles of early on Sunday morning before jibing. In very choppy conditions again, the "Paprec Arkéa" drifter still reached a boat speed of 17 to 18 knots.

Boris Herrmann had also created a top starting position for the final sprint on Sunday. Early in the morning, he was able to look back on a strong 24-hour average speed of 21 knots, which had carried him so far to the front. In addition to their racing challenges, the competitors also had to contend with the sharp drop in temperatures.

Chaotic sea and refrigerator conditions

"It's super cold, the water is probably two degrees Celsius and the air not much more," Yoann Richomme had already reported on Saturday. "We went from 15 degrees Celsius to less than five degrees Celsius in one day," explained Maxime Sorel. The "V and B - Monbana - Mayenne" skipper was in fifth place on Sunday morning and was travelling as fast as if he wanted to escape the freezing temperatures as quickly as possible. Sorel continued: "We have another disturbed, rather chaotic sea. We have to fight so that the boat doesn't crash." The conditions described by Maxime Sorel are due to the swirling currents of the Gulf Stream in combination with the prevailing winds.

Further back in the fleet, Swiss driver Oliver Heer is clearly struggling. After initially fixing problems with his diesel engine and electronics on Saturday, Heer could only be seen moving very slowly on Sunday morning. His change of course also signalled new problems. The Transat CIC organisers then announced in a breaking news report at 9.30 a.m. that Heer's boat had laid on its side overnight. The skipper confirmed that he was fine and was in contact with his shore crew to assess the damage.

"Alla Grande Pirelli" up and away?

In Class 40, leader and reach king Ambrogio Beccaria extended his lead overnight. "The current position helps and encourages me because it shows me that I'm doing things right. Our coach Tanguy Leglatin told us that this race is an ultra trail run. And I think he's absolutely right. I'm in the lead for the first time in this race. But I also know that what awaits us is so long that it means nothing."

Behind Beccaria's "Alla Grande Pirelli", Ian Lipinski ("Crédit Mutuel") and Fabien Delahaye ("Legallais Team Voile") are fighting to catch up with the Italian, who was still a good 1,000 nautical miles away from the finish line off New York on Sunday morning, with a gap of around 45 and 75 nautical miles respectively.

Click here for live tracking and the interim results.

"Alla Grande Pirelli"! Here, Class 40 leader Ambrogio Beccaria gives a brief insight into the uncomfortable life on board: