Solidaire du Chocolat, iniziato il rush finale
Class 40OceanoSolidaire du ChocolatVela 7 Novembre 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=4614 w=300 h=204 float=left]Solidaire du Chocolat – Saint Barth – Alle 08.00 GMT di ieri mattina, Tanguy de Lamotte e Adrien Hardy, leader della Solidaire du Chocolat, sono transitati per primi attraverso il cancello obbligatorio di Saint Barth, passaggio che ha decretato la fine della traversata atlantica iniziata da Saint Nazaire, e l’inizio di un altro tipo di regata, più tattica e stressante dal punto di vista fisico. Già l’approccio a Saint Barth ha richiesto molta attenzione all’equipaggio di Initiatives Novoedia, costretto a un “atterraggio” largo, onde evitare spiacevoli incontri con i bassi fondali che punteggiano la zona.
Al comando con centotre miglia di vantaggio suglio inseguitori, de Lamotte-Hardy guardano avanti navigando mure a sinistra in attesa della strambata che, qualora vengano confermate le previsioni meteo, dovrebbe metterli in rotta per il traguardo, distante ancora più di millecinquecento miglia.
A tenare di tenere il passo del duo di testa sono Telecom Italia, che ha rinunciato all’annunciata sosta a Saint Barth per riparare l’avaria allo strallo di prua, e Cheminées Poujoulat della coppia Stamm-Jourdren, rimasti incollati allo scafo italiano ma incapaci di superarlo nonostante la barca in loro possesso sia in ottima forma. Oltre ad essere vicini e a camminare alla stessa velocità, Soldini-D’Alì e Stamm-Joudren, stanno optando per le stesse scelte tattiche. Non appena entrati nel Caribe, infatti, entrambe le coppie hanno deciso di spingersi verso ovest-sudovest in cerca di brezze migliori: sarà proprio sui salti di vento del finale che si giocherà il destino di questa regata che ha per destinazione finale Progreso.
In contatto con il gruppo di testa c’è anche Cargill di Seguin-Tripon che nel corso degli ultimi giorni ha tenuto il passo dei battistrada ed è riuscito a portarsi a meno di centocinquanta miglia da esso.
Sempre dodicesimo e pesantemente distaccato dalla vetta è Adriatech di Davide Consorte che evidentemente non ha incassato quanto sperava dalla discesa lungo la costa africana.
Grande sorpresa ha destato il ritiro di Jouni Romppanen e di Sam Ohman. Mentre occupavano la settima posizione, il loro Tieto ha iniziato a fare acqua dalla chiglia. Immediata è giunta la decisione dei due finlandesi di ammainare le vele e fare rotta verso Saint Barth a motore. Questo non prima di avere organizzato un meeting in mezzo all’aceano con il transatlantico Tropical Mist, che ha lasciato a Romppanen-Ohman una scorta di gasolio sufficiente a coprire tutto il viaggio.
Solidaire du Chocolat
1. Initiatives Novoedia, De Lamotte-Hardy, DTF 1441 nm
2. Telecom Italia, Soldini-D’Ali, +103 nm
3. Cheminées Poujoulat, Jourdern-Stamm, +109 nm
4. Cargill, Seguin-Tropon, +149 nm
5. Palanad 2, Wright-Brennan, +254 nm
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SOLIDAIRE DU CHOCOLAT, CLOSING IN ON THE GATE
[Solidaire du Chocolat Press Release] At 08.00 GMT, the race leaders, Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy on their two year-old Rogers Design Class40, Initiatives-Novedia, were under 20 miles from the mandatory race gate off St. Barts: a line running 1.5 miles south from Le Pain de Sucre on the southern end of the island to a virtual mark. In their approach under darkness, Lamotte and Hardy will have to avoid the natural hazards around the gate: Les Baleines de Grand Fond, the rocks called Fornus just east of the main island and the small island of Loco, directly south of St. Barts. Currently leading the fleet by 103 miles on port gybe, the French duo may have to gybe onto starboard to clip the southern corner of the gate before entering the Caribbean and starting the final 1,500 mile leg to Progreso and the finish line.
In 2nd place, the Italian team of Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d’Ali on Telecom Italia and 3rd place Cheminées Poujoulat of Bruno Jourdren and Bernard Stamm are separated by just under 15 miles with both boats gybing simultaneously onto starboard in the last few hours, hitching north before the final gybe down to the race gate. While Telecom Italia and Cheminées Poujoulat are averaging matching speeds at a little over nine knots, Damien Seguin and Armel Tripon on Cargill-MTTM in 4th place and trailing Jourdren and Stamm by 28 miles at 0800 GMT this morning, are fractionally slower at 8.8 knots.
Yesterday, the fleet was stunned by the retirement of Jouni Romppanen and Sam Öhman on Tieto who were holding 7th place in the second wave of Class40s. With profound problems to the keel mounting, the Finnish duo quickly decided to drop all sail and motor to St. Barts, but a mid-ocean rendezvous for extra fuel was vital. “We met MS Tropical Mist out on the sea at approximately 1300 GMT,” confirmed Romppanen late yesterday. “They gave us what we needed and it is good to see that in the world there are still good people,” he continues. “Thanks to the whole crew of the ship.” The method of fuel transfer was carried out smoothly and avoided any risks to either vessel. “They launched fuel in small barrels into the sea from where we picked them up,” explains Rompannen. “A very handy and safe way for us and the boat.” Currently making six knots, the Finns expect to reach St. Barts on Monday. “Until then, we keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best,” adds the Finnish skipper. “We wish for the rest of the fleet good racing to Mexico and hope we are the last team who has to withdraw from the race.”
Throughout the night, the group of three boats in the second wave produced some of the highest speeds in the fleet with Peter Harding and Miranda Merron on 40 Degrees making 9.48 knots and Felipe Cubillos and Daniel Bravo Silva on Desafio Cabo de Hornos polling 10 knots. “A glorious clear, warm night,” reports Miranda Merron from 40 Degrees in 6th place this morning. “I haven’t forgotten how tough the first couple of weeks were, but surfing down waves in the moonlight is one of the reasons we do this kind of racing,” she explains. “The wind is forecast to drop, so it may take a while to get to the gate at St. Barts, 360 miles away. However, we have broken through the 2,000 miles to the finish barrier, which is very satisfying.” In the past 24 hours, the distance between the second wave’s leader, Sail4Cancer of Tim Wright and Nicholas Brennan and 40 Degrees has remained stable with the two British Class40s separated by 60 miles this morning, but a threat from the north in the form of Felipe Cubillos and Daniel Bravo Silva on Desafio Cabo de Hornos is closing in, taking 22 miles from Harding and Merron in the past 24 hours. “A beautiful night filled with thousands of stars, no squalls and – quite amazingly – no cloud,” reports the Chilean skipper this morning. “We have been averaging 12 knots for the past eight hours and have taken some miles from the boats in front of us,” confirms Cubillos as they close into 26 miles of 40 Degrees.
“We were delighted on Wednesday night to have overtaken the Finns,” he says, “but our joy was short-lived when we found out they had had to pull out of the race with serious keel issues. This means that 40 percent of the fleet won’t make the finish line which illustrates the toughness of the early stages in the race.” As Merron predicted, the breeze has dropped and speeds have reduced to sub-nine knots for the trio of boats. “We’re around 48 hours from the gate at St. Barts,” Cubillos estimates. “I really hope that the race organisation can re-supply us with chocolate as we pass through. On the boat we are surrounded by La Solidaire du Chocolat flags, banners, flyers and chocolate-related paraphernalia, so I think it would show their true commitment to chocolate if they bombarded us with the stuff as we sailed through the gate.”
The third wave of boats is led by Jacques Fournier and Jean-Edouard Criquioche on Groupe Picoty in 8th place, holding a 118 mile lead over Denis Lazat and Frédéric Nouel on Plan in 9th. In 10th place, Erik Nigon and Marc Jouany on Axa Atout Coeur Pour Aides are just 15 miles behind Lazat’s Class40 and have fully acclimatised to the Trade Winds. “At the moment, things can’t get much better with a kind breeze pushing us gently towards St. Barts,” reports Nigon this morning. “We are oblivious to the passage of time and spend the hours writing or reading with no strict watch system and pass the time discussing future strategy,” he explains. “There is barely a sound on board other than the whisper of water on the hull. The only thing that disturbed our total happiness on board was the news of Tieto,” says the French skipper. “For our Finnish friends on board, our best wishes and all our thoughts are with them.”
Meanwhile in 11th place, 63 miles behind Axa Atout Coeur Pour Aides, Stephen Card and Shaun Murphy on Orbis are trying everything to increase their speed averages. “A pleasant night, 12-18 knots, gentle swell, plenty of rain though,” says Card this morning. “Going to try and put up the repaired large kite at daylight and see if we can start to match the speed of the other boats. We’re currently half a knot down on our near rivals and at least a full knot down on the leaders,” he reports. In the 0800 GMT position poll, Card and Murphy are averaging 7.2 knots – almost two knots slower than Plan – although their proposed tactic comes with a risk: “Our slight concern is that we do not have a snuffer for it,” adds Card, “and 188 square metres is a lot of kite to manhandle”.
Solidaire du Chocolat
1. Initiatives Novoedia, De Lamotte-Hardy, DTF 1441 nm
2. Telecom Italia, Soldini-D’Ali, +103 nm
3. Cheminées Poujoulat, Jourdern-Stamm, +109 nm
4. Cargill, Seguin-Tropon, +149 nm
5. Palanad 2, Wright-Brennan, +254 nm
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