D+22 • November 16, 2015
Can Le Conservateur Hang On?
Approaching Cabo Frio, to the east of Rio, there are now just 20 miles separating the top two Class40s in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Long time leaders Yannick Bestaven and Pierre Brasseur on Le Conservateur have opted to gybe inshore and are in light upwind conditions, closing to the cape while rivals Maxime Sorel and Sam Manuard on V and B have stayed offshore looking to be first to a SE’ly shift in the breeze but risking sailing more miles. But with 500 miles of racing to go until the finish line in Itajai, the ourtcome of Class 40 might be decided in the next few hours.
At this weather crossroads where the stormy fronts emerge off the land and meet theSE’ly trade winds, V and B are on the attack offshore while closer to the Farol de Sao Thorme, in swirling, erratic winds and thunderstorms, Bestaven and Brasseur are slowed back to 6kts.
Their only real title rivals are going ‘round the outside’ at 8kts. Having spent three days snared in the real Doldrums as V and B caught three hundred miles, Bestaven and Brasseur must have concerns that a tropical Doldrums will swallow them again, but this could go to a close match race to the finish.
Brazilian Olympic gold medallist Eduardo Penido and co-skipper Renato Araujo on Zentra are 49 miles ahead of a chasing trio of Class40s lined up side by side, drag racing in the SE’ly trades. Philippa Hutton Squire and Pip Hare, the South African and British girls duo, still hold a narrow lead in this group and are slightly faster this afternoon.
Positions
Date : 16/11/15 - 18h30
Class40
1 - Le Conservateur
2 - V and B
3 - Carac Advanced Energies
Multi50
1 - FenêtréA Prysmian
2 - Ciela Village
3 - Arkema
Imoca
1 - PRB
2 - Banque Populaire VIII
3 - Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir
Ultime
1 - Macif
2 - Sodebo Ultim’
2013 Title Defenders
Class40
GDF SUEZ
Sébastien Rogues & Fabien Delahaye
20d 21h 41min 25sec
Multi50
Fenêtréa Cardinal
Erwan Le Roux & Yann Éliès
14d 17h 40min 15sec
Imoca
PRB
Vincent Riou & Jean Le Cam
17d 00h 41min 47sec
MOD70
Edmond de Rothschild
Sébastien Josse & Charles Caudrelier
11d 05h 03min 54sec
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