- ETA Virbac-Paprec 3 at Gibraltar overnight 31st March to 1st April
- Central Lechera Asturiana aim to restart from Wellington after 25 day technical stopover
View from Neutrogena. Image copyright Boris Herrmann/Neutrogena.
by Barcelona World Race media
As anticipated by many, Virbac-Paprec 3 has tacked north again this afternoon, taking a short hitch to avoid passing directly through the Canary Islands archipelago and the likely long wind shadows cast bay the high mountains, especially Tenerife. With some 90 miles left to reach the westernmost extremity of the islands, Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron will take a short hitch back to the north before extending east all the way to the Moroccan coast.
Iker Martinez retains his fierce optimism, believing that there will be chances to pull back some miles on the leading pair after MAPFRE passes the Canary Islands.
“As far as strategy goes there is not much before the Canary Islands, we make a mainly northerly course and will tack to the east depending on the evolution of the anticyclone, but what seems more complex is after the Canaries to the Straits of Gibraltar when it seems like there will be less wind.” The Spanish double Olympic medalist explained on this morning’s visio link up with MAPFRE. They remain determined to be resigned to second place, but he admits “our destiny is for sure not 100% in our own hands.”
If the Spanish sailing icons don’t feel particularly compromised on this long upwind leg since the Equator byt the damaged dagger board, Martinez saying it might be causing them a small fraction of a knot of difference, Boris Herrmann and his co-skipper Ryan Breymaier are much more frustrated by the fact they cannot cant their keel to its maximum, so losing valuable righting moment as they duel with Estrella Damm. Herrmann’s assertion is backed up by their loss of 14 miles over the last 24 hours to their Spanish rivals. Estrella Damm are now 36 miles ahead:
“It is just a bit nuts for us just now because we feel like if we had the full potential of our keel then it would be a totally different game, for us it is like driving a car with only four out of five gears. We can't switch into fifth gear and get the last bit of speed. We reckon that it is almost a knot that we are missing, so it is a good thing for them. They seem to be able to sail away from us with no trouble.
"It is like in a dinghy, a lighter dinghy crew has to sail a higher angle, a closer angle to the wind, trying to do the same VMG like that. That is what we try to do here. The boat has slightly less righting moment, the only option is to sail higher at a slower speed, but that works pretty well," explained Herrmann.
But for the Spanish-English duo of Anna Corbella and Dee Caffari on GAES Centros Auditivos there is the hope that they will be able to sail the north Atlantic with their IMOCA Open 60 back at very close to 100% potential after completing their ballast tank repair yesterday. Corbella confirmed they will be giving the lamination 48 hours to cure completely before building up to maximum speed.
But the biggest repair of all has been that of Central Lechera who have been in Wellington since 3rd March when they arrived with their broken mast, but the team informed Race Direction in Barcelona that they intend to set out from the Kiwi capital tonight.
“Our objective was and continues to be the completion of the circumnavigation. As the Mexican song goes, ‘finishing first is not really the important thing, the important thing is to know how to finish’. We really have this desire to complete what we started” explained Juan Merediz, while his co-skipper, Fran Palacio, explains: “ Our shore team, management and the FNOB are doing all in their power for us to be able to fulfill our dream. We do not have enough words of gratitude to express all we feel for this help. Without a doubt we have worked with the best”.
Anna Corbella up the mast on board GAES. Image copyright Anna Corbella/GAES Centros Auditivos.
Standings of Sunday 27th March at 1400hrs
1 VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 1401 miles to finish
2 MAPFRE + 242 miles to leader
3 RENAULT Z.E at + 1081 miles to leader
4 ESTRELLA DAMM Sailing Team at + 1236 miles to leader
5 NEUTROGENA at + 1271 miles to leader
6 GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS at + 1846 miles to leader
7 HUGO BOSS at + 3367 miles to leader
8 FORUM MARITIM CATALA at + 3855 miles to leader
9 WE ARE WATER at 5640 miles to leader
10 CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA at + 10149 miles to leader
RTD FONCIA
RTD PRESIDENT
RTD GROUPE BEL
RTD MIRABAUD
Quotes:
Boris Herrmann (GER) Neutrogena:“It is just a bit nuts for us just now because we feel like if we had the full potential of our keel then it would be a totally different game, for us it is like driving a car with only four out of five gears. We cant switch into fifth gear and get the last bit of speed. We reckon that it is almost a knot that we are missing, so it is a good thing for them. They seem to be able to sail away from us with no trouble.
"It is like in a dinghy, a lighter dinghy crew has to sail a higher angle, a closer angle to the wind, trying to do the same VMG like that. That is what we try to do here. The boat has slightly less righting moment, the only option is to sail higher at a slower speed, but that works pretty well. In any case this is a very good boat upwind, which makes us even more mad. If we had everything together we could be doing very well, and sail quite fast.
"Upwind we have established a four hours routine in these conditions, one of us is four hours is controlling the pilot, trimming, and trying to optimise the speed or performance all the time while the other one is down below looking at the weather and stuff like that. I have one good book that I am reading now.
"I play with thoughts when you have time to think just now, the thoughts can take you anywhere into the future, for future professional life I would hope that if it was not sailing it could be in a sector like that (adventure and environmental projects).
"Maybe every 15 minutes there is one big slam in a wave, but mostly we go through quite smoothly. We have a reef in the main because of the keel, it is a little bit gusty and puffy but we are quite happy with this pace doing 9.5 to 10 knots.
"We don’t have grib files which reach from here to Gibraltar so it is hard to make a route more than a week ahead, we expect probably five days upwind on this tack. To be honest I am not pressed by tactical options, I am just hoping the whole scenario will change to give more opportunities.
"I would like to go into the Pyrenees when I get back, it is not far from Barcelona, maybe still in April so I hope to find time for that.”
Dee Caffari gives the thumbs up on board GAES after carrying out the repair to the ballast tank and the structural ring frame on GAES. Image copyright Anna Corbella/GAES Centros Auditivos.
Iker Martinez (ESP) MAPFRE: “All is good on board and we are pressing on. Right now we are beating, upwind which we have been doing pretty much since the Equator. I don’t remember when we last did such a long upwind, I guess since the last Volvo, but it is not really upwind like the Copa del Rey, tacking back and forth.
"As for our food situation, well it is really precipitated by a problem we have had with some of the freeze dried which got contaminated, we will find out how or why later, but we have been rationing it for three weeks now, but in fact we are quite used to watching our weight for the 49er racing, so it is not unusual for us.
"The problem with the daggerboard is not so noticeable, on port it goes a little better but we are talking fractions of a knot, but the figures are not so important.
"As far as strategy goes there is not much before the Canary Islands, we make a mainly northerly course and will tack to the east depending on the evolution of the anticyclone, but what seems more complex is after the Canaries to the Straits of Gibraltar when it seems like there will be less wind.
"The race feels like it is counting down the end feels not far away but like others at the stage that kind of makes the days feel longer. This section feels quite long. But the motivation increases all the time. To be closer to the finish really motivates you, just the same as it does in the Olympics. But the tiredness catches up with you now, too. And for us the added problem is the lack of food because after all it is the fuel, and we are lacking fuel
"What worries us, if anything, just now is breaking something because the boat still slams and waves hit the boat a bit, so you are not always forcing it.”
Anna Corbella (ESP) GAES Centros Auditivos:“The wall of the ballast tank is the same as the structural ring frame and so we had to make a hole in the tank to laminate it on the inside. So we hope that it will hold and we are confident it will. We needed 24 hours and now 48 hours to make sure it cures, and so until then we have to sail gently with small sails and then we have to cross the Doldrums.
"Yesterday we had to check the rig while we were slowed down in the light winds and it was good to know that it is all good.”
In French:
Plus que 1400 milles
View from Neutrogena. Image copyright Boris Herrmann/Neutrogena.
- Virbac-Paprec 3 à la latitude des Canaries
- Son ETA à Gibraltar : dans la nuit du 31 mars au 1er avril
- Central Lechera Asturiana va repartir cette nuit de Wellington après 25 jours d’escale technique
Tandis que Jean-Pierre Dick et Loïck Peyron n’ont plus que 1400 milles (2592 km) à parcourir jusqu’à la ligne d’arrivée espagnole, Juan Merediz et Fran Palacio, à 10 000 milles du bateau bleu, ont décidé de repartir de Wellington cette nuit pour terminer leur tour du monde...
Cap à l’Est puis au Nord, Virbac-Paprec 3 tente d’échapper aux hautes pressions et remonte au près, 90 milles dans l’ouest des Canaries. Tout porte à croire que Jean-Pierre et Loïck ont décidé de laisser cet obstacle à tribord pour éviter le dévent de ces îles aux reliefs imposants. Rappelons que le sommet le plus haut d’Espagne se trouve dans cet archipel : un volcan nommé Teide culminant à plus de 3700 mètres. 242 milles plus au sud, la problématique est la même pour l’équipage de MAPFRE : remonter en escalier vers le nord, parer l’archipel canarien sans se faire piéger.
A bord de l’ancien Foncia, les médaillés olympiques et multi champions du monde Iker Martinez et Xabi Fernandez ne se résignent pas à occuper la place de dauphin, mais ils savent aussi que leur destin n’est plus totalement entre leurs mains. Avec un retard qui représente 17% du chemin à parcourir et une stratégie quasi obligatoire au près, les voies de dépassement seront rares… Virbac-Paprec 3 est attendu à Gibraltar dans la nuit du 31 mars au 1er avril. MAPFRE 24 heures plus tard.
Neutrogena handicapé par sa quille
Derrière, dans le sud du Cap Vert, Renault Z.E réussit fort bien à maintenir ses deux rivaux à distance. Pachi Rivero et Antonio Piris ont bénéficié les premiers du renforcement des alizés. Et comme il n’y a ni coups fourrés ni grandes stratégies à l’horizon, la hiérarchie devrait rester la même pendant au moins une bonne semaine avec Estrella Damm en 4e position et Neutrogena cinquième. A ces allures de près un peu costaud, le bateau de l’équipage germano-américain est handicapé par l’impossibilité de basculer totalement la quille (problème de vérins constaté en début de mois). Neutrogena va moins vite et Boris Hermann ne se fait pas d’illusion quant à l’issue de cette course de vitesse face au vent.
Journée bricole pour les filles
A l’entrée du Pot au Noir, Dee Caffari et Anna Corbella ont sacrifié la journée d’hier pour réparer la cloison de ballast avant de Gaes Centros Auditivos. Elles ont passé pratiquement 24 heures arrêtées avec trois ris dans la grand-voile pour mener à bien les travaux de stratification. Anna a profité de cette « pause bricole » pour faire une ascension dans le mât et constater que le gréement du bateau était impeccable. Les voici de nouveau en route vers l’équateur, à faible allure mais à bientôt à 100% de leur capacité.
Hugo Boss file à l’anglaise
Dans le Sud du Brésil, profitant d’une météo complexe où dépressions et anticyclones se succèdent, Hugo Boss est en train de semer son compagnon FMC. Il y a quelques jours, lorsque Wouter Verbraak et Andy Meiklejohn quittaient les Malouines après leur escale technique destinée à réparer leurs voiles et le rail de mât, les deux bateaux n’étaient séparés que de 120 milles. Aujourd’hui, cet écart se monte à 489 milles car les premiers filent au largue quand les seconds luttent contre des vents contraires.
Central Lechera Asturiana va repartir en course
Alors que We are Water progresse péniblement à 150 milles du cap Horn, Central Lechera Asturiana est sur le point de le rejoindre dans le Pacifique, après 25 jours d’escale à Wellington. Le 3 mars dernier, Juan Merediz et Fran Palacio s’arrêtaient dans la capitale néo-zélandaise pour réparer leur mât cassé deux jours plus tôt en mer de Tasmanie. Le bateau a été remâté il y a 48 heures et le gréement a été testé. L’équipage souhaite désormais terminer son périple autour du monde. D’après un communiqué envoyé par leur équipe, Juan et Fran ont prévu de larguer les amarres ce soir à 00h00 TU (lundi 02 heures du matin en Europe). Ils repartiront alors avec plus de 10 000 milles et presque deux océans de retard sur les leaders…
Anna Corbella prepares to go up the mast on board GAES. Image copyright Dee Caffari/GAES Centros Auditivos.
Classement du 27 mars à 16 heures (TU+2) :
1 VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 à 1400, 8 milles de l’arrivée
2 MAPFRE à 242,9 milles
3 RENAULT Z.E à 1080,7 milles
4 ESTRELLA DAMM Sailing Team à 1236 milles
5 NEUTROGENA à 1271,9 milles
6 GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS à 1845,7 milles
7 HUGO BOSS à 3366,8 milles
8 FORUM MARITIM CATALA à 3855,3 milles
9 WE ARE WATER à 5640,2 milles
10 CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA à 10149,5 milles
ABN FONCIA
ABN PRESIDENT
ABN GROUPE BEL
ABN MIRABAUD
Ils ont dit :
Iker Martínez (ESP), MAPFRE : “Tout va bien à bord, nous continuons notre petit chemin. Actuellement nous sommes au près, comme depuis le passage de l’équateur. Notre stock de lyophilisé est mauvais, nous l’analyserons quand nous arriverons. Conséquence directe, cela fait trois semaines que nous nous rationnons, mais il faut dire que nous avons l’habitude puisque quand on court en 49er nous devons faire très attention au poids. Une raison de plus pour avoir envie d’arriver ! En termes de stratégie, il semble qu'il n'y aura pas beaucoup à jouer dans les Canaries. Nous faisons une route plein nord et nous devrons virer de bord, tout dépendra de l’anticyclone. Une fois que nous aurons viré, nous verrons si ça passe par le nord ou à travers les îles, ce qui est toujours assez compliqué. Mais à l’heure actuelle, le plus préoccupant est la situation entre les Canaries et le détroit de Gibraltar, où il semble y avoir très peu de vent ».
Anna Corbella (ESP), Gaes Centros Auditivos : « Nous avons eu besoin de 24 heures pour que la réparation prenne bien et il faudra 48 heures pour que cela se solidifie, donc il faut naviguer calmement et avec peu de voile. Nous devons traverser le Pot au Noir le plus vite possible et éviter au maximum que le bateau ne tape ce qui est le pire. Nous ferons notre possible pour ne pas avoir d’autres problèmes techniques. Et normalement demain nous naviguerons à nouveau normalement. Hier, comme nous n’avions rien d’autre à faire, nous avons décidé de réviser intégralement le bateau. Nous sommes montées au mât et nous avons fait la révision générale, le mât est parfait, juste des petites choses sans importance. »
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