There are leaders, but…

THE ELEVENTH NIGHT. The fleet is redoubling its efforts to maintain pace in the heart of the Atlantic. The three boats leading the race – Wings of the Ocean (Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois), Cap St Barth (Cindy Brin and Thomas André), and Skipper Macif (Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne) – have repositioned further south in recent hours. They maintain a lead of about thirty nautical miles over their pursuers, who have no intention of backing down. Here's the latest:

Never give up, give it everything. 

Forget the day, the time – focus solely on the weather, on the salty battle, and always push further into commitment. For eleven days, the fleet has been giving it their all, from first to last, despite often intense conditions. "We are literally living in humidity and our own sweat," said Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois in a video showing Wings of the Ocean being tossed by the waves.

One thing becomes more evident each day: the boats are suffering, and sometimes repairs are needed. For example, Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (BANQUES ALIMENTAIRES) had to fix their spinnaker halyard, having sailed for two days with their small spinnaker. "We had to wait for the right conditions to go up the mast and re-thread a new halyard," said Tiphaine. "Now, we’re fully back in the game!"

The top three nailed their move

In terms of racing and strategy, the boats that were north yesterday (Wings of the Ocean, Cap St Barth, Skipper Macif) gybed southward late in the day. They maintain about a thirty-nautical-mile lead over their closest rivals: Demain (Martin Le Pape and Mathilde Géron), Région Bretagne – CMB Espoir (Victor Le Pape and Estelle Greck), and Les Étoiles Filantes (Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau), who are progressing on the same axis. In short, the top three "made the gain," according to race director Yann Chateau. "They took a gamble and were rewarded—it allowed them to move ahead." The game ahead looks particularly interesting: while the leaders will likely want to play it safe to protect their lead, others have more reason to take bold risks. "In the Figaro, you don’t make up 50 nautical miles (92 km) by just staying in the same axis," Yann reminds us.

That’s good news, as uncertainty around the weather conditions remains high—adding more variables and options for the skippers. "Those who are dissatisfied with their position will take more risks," explains Yann. "The more you go off-axis, the more you can gain—or lose—compared to others." For example, Mael Garnier and Catherine Hunt (Selencia – Cerfrance, 12th) were among the first to gybe northward, while Davy Beaudart and Julie Simon (Hellowork, 7th) attempted a move to the south. "In the short term, the top three aren’t threatened," Yann adds. But they’ll have to remain alert and give nothing away: for them—and for the entire fleet—this May 1st will be far from a day off...

NEWS FROM THE FLEET

Arno Biston and Vittoria Ripa Di Meana (Article1) shared an update after having to retire last Monday due to a torn spinnaker. "We tried to find solutions to repair it, but there were no sailmakers available," said Arno. "It doesn’t reflect the energy we put into the project, but we know that’s part of the game." Still, the two skippers remain philosophical: "We’re lucky to be part of such crazy adventures," said Arno. "We mustn’t forget that what we’re doing is really cool," added Vittoria. Their smiles are uplifting, as are those of the other skippers.

There was a lot of talk about crossings in the middle of the fleet yesterday afternoon. Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois (Wings of the Ocean) were happy to have crossed paths with Skipper Macif (Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne), just as Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon (Almond for Pure Ocean) did with Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson (Solan Ocean Racing).

Meanwhile, Martin Le Pape celebrated his daughter’s third birthday by telling her to "believe in her dreams." Anaëlle Pattusch and Hugo Cardon (Humains en action) had some fun letting Éclair, their stuffed animal, take the helm. "That gave us time to have a snack with the last of our oranges," smiled Anaëlle. Alexis Thomas (Cap St Barth) gave an interview in Breton, Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean) captured a sunset, and Ellie Driver (Women's Engineering Society) and Julia Simon (Hellowork) filmed the sunrise. One of the most striking videos in recent hours came from Solan Ocean Racing: Maggie Adamson, an accomplished violinist, played a tune in the middle of the ocean. The title? “All the ships are sailing.”