Playing the long game
15 May 2023
Playing the long game
It is increasingly looking like it might be the final miles into Saint Barths which might decide the winner of the Transat Paprec, very much depending on the timing of the approach to the French island territory.
There are still 700 miles to the finish but leaders since Saturday Lois Berrëhar and Charlotte Yven (Skipper MACIF) remain unable to shake off second placed rivals Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois (Mutuelle Bleue) who are hanging on the leaders coat-tails, in sight at 2.6 nautical miles behind and very much ready to pounce.
The trade winds are declining progressively and the ETA for the finish line for the top group of three is now around 1900hrs Friday evening local time. Friday’s local forecast for Saint Barths shows gusty, squally, cloudy weather. This could prove a minefield for the leaders and offer great opportunities for those behind. Berrëhar finished third in 2011 racing with Tom Laperche arriving some two hours behind the record breaking race winners Nils Palmieri and Julien Villion.
Palmieri and Villion’s 18 days 5 hours course record set two years ago seems safe.
Meantime on board the 11 Figaro BENETEAU 3s life on board is all about the settled rhythm of watches on and off, detailed analysis of weather files and constantly looking for the small scale observations that can make a difference, reading the evolution of the clouds and the sky
"You have to manage to integrate and analyze all of the subtleties of the trade winds", explained Yann Chateau, Deputy Race Director today.
Top five at 1700hrs BST Monday 15th May 2023
1 Skipper MACIF (Loïs Berrehar/Charlotte Yven) 702 miles to the finish
2 Mutuellle Bleue (Corentin Horeau/Pauline Courtois) + 2.4 miles behind leader
3 Région Bretagne CMB Performance (Gaston Morvan/Anne Claire le Berre) + 9.3 miles
4 Région Normandie (Guillaume Pirouelle/Sophie Faguet) + 24.2 miles
5 Cap Ingélec (Camille Bertel/Pierre Leboucher) + 49.4 miles