Solidaire du Chocolat, destinazione Caribe
Class 40OceanoSolidaire du ChocolatVela 5 Novembre 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=4611 w=300 h=204 float=left]Solidaire du Chocolat – Saint Barth – Ancora un giorno e mezzo e poi si tornerà ad avvistare terra. I Class 40 che guidano la Solidaire du Chocolat, transoceanica che unisce Saint Nazaire a Progreso, sono ormai giunti nel Caribe. Al comando, dopo aver approfittato di un problema tecnico allo strallo di prua che ha rallentato il cammino di Telecom Italia, sono sempre Tanguy De Lamotte e Adrien Hardy. Impegnati a bordo di Initiatives Novoedia, i due skipper francesi vantano una leadership di oltre cento miglia rispetto allo scafo italiano, incalzato da Cheminées Poujoulat, tornato ad attaccare le posizioni di testa. Del gruppetto, che avanza quasi in fila indiana, fa parte anche Cargill di Seguin-Tripon, dati a una ventina di miglia da Joudren-Stamm.
Tra la quarta e la quinta posizione il salto è piuttosto importante, visto che Paland 2 avanza a oltre centotrenta miglia dal già citato Cargill.
Il distacco, per quanto importante, non permette certo al binomio leader, De Lamotte-Hardy, di dormire sonni tranquilli: l’Aliseo sta mollando e la situazione meteo in mezzo alle isola caraibiche è in continua evoluzione. Situazione che verrà sfruttata quasi certamente da Giovanni Soldini e Pietro d’Alì per effettuare una sosta tecnica a Saint Barth, isola dei Caraibi che dovrà essere lasciata a destra. Considerando la sosta minima di tre ore fissata dal regolamento, i due navigatori italiani sono quasi sicuri di riuscire a riparare lo strallo e ripartire, in modo da tornare a essere competitivi in tutte le condizioni e giocarsi il tutto per tutto nel rush finale.
Solidaire du Chocolat
1. Initiatives Novoedia, De Lamotte-Hardy, DTF 1840.75 nm
2. Telecom Italia, Soldini-D’Ali, +110.19 nm
3. Cheminées Poujoulat, Jourdern-Stamm, +115,43 nm
4. Cargill, Seguin-Tropon, +135.26 nm
5. Palanad 2, Wright-Brennan, +267,53 nm
…
SOLIDAIRE DU CHOCOLAT, CARIBBEAN TEMPO
[Source Solidaire du Chocolat] A day and a half to go before sighting land for the first time since leaving Saint Nazaire. Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy are comfortably in the lead of the Solidaire du Chocolat and should have be a clear half-day ahead of the three immediate followers as they pass by Saint Bart’s. But the trade winds are starting to fall.
Anything can happen at sea. In view of the conditions off the Caribbean islands at the moment (15 knot easterly wind), it is difficult to imagine any major change in the fleet as Initiatives-Novedia maintains its lead over Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d’Ali (Telecom Italia), Bernard Stamm and Bruno Jourdren (Cheminées Poujoulat) and Damien Seguin and Armel Tripon (Cargill-MTTM). Another 210 miles clocked up in 24 hours for the leaders among the fastest in the fleet thereby further increasing their lead by about 10 miles compared to yesterday. As the wind is going to decrease as the Class 40s enter the Caribbean Sea, the leaders cannot allow themselves to make a pitstop in Saint Bart’s. A slight calm and all the efforts of the last two weeks to make a breakaway will be reduced to nothing. When out in the lead, there is no letting up.
Smoothing seas
One thousand miles downfield, Patrice Carpentier and Victor Maldonado (Crédit Maritime) seem to have got things right since their Portuguese pitstop. The northern course has enabled them to distance Yves Ecarlat and Lionel Regnier (Vale Inco-Nouvelle Calédonie) who headed off further south, and have sneaked in a twenty mile gain every day. At this rate, they may well end up closing in on British boat Mike West and Paul Worswick (Keysource) by Thursday evening. A nice bit of strategy. Precisely what they need to negotiate the end of this Atlantic stretch as the trade winds are showing signs of lightening up with a few rain-bearing cumulonimbus even appearing, with alternating gusts and calms. This is fine for charging the body’s batteries and being able to eat normally. But there are still 2 000 miles to go for the first boats and more than 3000 for the tail enders.
In any event, the fight for second place is on. The Italians and Stamm-Jourdren are sailing in sight of one another, with Seguin-Tripon not far behind. The two British boats Wright-Brennan (Palanad 2) and Harding-Merron (40 Degrees) are a little further south of the Finnish team Romppanen-Öhman (Tieto Passion) who appear to have better wind. Bit of a battle going on also in the north between Lazat-Nouel (Plan, les enfants changeront le monde) and Card-Murphy (Orbis) against the southerners Nigon-Jouany (Axa Atout Cœur pour Aides) and Consorte-Aubry (Adriatech), now on the same heading. The Caribbean landfall is not going to be that easy.
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