Sunday, November 09, 2014
Marc Guillemot, third on Safran at the halfway point
The competitors of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe have entered their eighth day of the race across the Atlantic. With 1,679 miles to the finish in Pointe-à-Pitre, Marc Guillemot on the monohull, Safran, is still in 3rd place, 142 miles behind François Gabart (Macif), the solid leader of the IMOCA class from the start in Saint-Malo last Sunday.
A start that has left its mark
At the halfway point, Marc Guillemot is still paying the price of bad weather conditions at the beginning of the race. headed by a strong wind and with choppy seas, rounding the tip of Brittany and crossing the Bay of Biscay had serious consequences for the fleet, with the 91 soloists that started now reduced to 67. Along with the minor damage on board, it is above all Safran’s spinnaker halyard, caught around the masthead since Tuesday, which is most hindering the smooth running of the boat. Whilst the fleet sailed upwind, Guillemot managed to keep pace with François Gabart and Jérémie Beyou, but since they moved downwind in the trades, Guillemot has had to resign himself to the two leaders escaping him. “Last night, I climbed up to the second level of the spreaders to try and release my spinnaker halyard again, but it was too risky,” Guillemot revealed. “So I decided to fly my spinnaker on my solent halyard. It's a do-it-yourself job, but it’s allowing me to limit the losses and move on at a decent speed. François and Jérémie are off to the west, they have a better angle to wind to head down to the Caribbean. The lateral distance is increasing and also the mileage differences.” Guillemot’s goal is now to keep his place on the podium ahead of Armel Tripon (For Humble Heroes), 81 miles in his wake.
A “pre-tropical” climate
At the latitude of the Canaries, Safran is progressing in winds that are still unstable. “The behaviour of the boat was challenging this morning,” Guillemot said, “the wind was swinging between 12 and 22 knots. With the autopilot, you have to be careful and responsive. I had a few little frights without any consequences, though they snap you to attention.” But at the same time the climate has changed dramatically across the Atlantic since Saturday. The sun is back and temperature up: “That's it, we're in a real trade wind situation now,” the skipper of Safran said, who is, nevertheless, still in his oilskins. “I saw the first flying fish, it feels like the tropics. I tried to wear shorts and a tee-shirt yesterday, but it’s still too wet.” With average speeds of 15-20 knots, Guillemot has been under immense strain from the start – he has only managed to make one meal a day. “I’ve only eaten the vacuum-sealed dishes made by the caterer, Taillandier, because they are full of protein and excellent,” Guillemot said. “They’ve given me some comfort. I’ve also managed to get myself a bit of bacon for breakfast occasionally, but it’s really complicated to cook. For the moment it’s more a regime of sardine cans and snacking on the go.”
A five to six day finish
The trade winds look like they could splutter at the predicted time of arrival in Guadeloupe, but for now Guillemot has a well-established weather pattern for the coming hours. “I'll continue on this tack until this evening or tonight, then I’ll gybe again when the wind forces me too, and then I’ll make a very long starboard tack to the West Indies,” he said.The first IMOCA are expected at the finish line on Friday, November 14 in the evening (French time). This Sunday in Pointe-à-Pitre, everyone is preparing to welcome Loïck Peyron, skipper of the solo maxi, Banque Populaire VII, who should win this 10th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. “I’m very happy for Loïck, he’s really surprised me!” Guillemot said. “I’m also impressed by Spindrift 2’s race, people do not necessarily realise it, but what Yann Guichard is doing is remarkable.”
Position of Safran at 1600hrs on November 9 2014: Safran 3rd, 142.85 miles behind the leader, Macif; 27 33.16’ North and 34 57.60’ West. Average speed 14.1 knots; 1679.2 miles from the finish in Pointe-à-Pitre.
International
Sabina Mollart-Rogerson
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