Although the leaders are still over 2,300 miles away from the finish line in New York, the next few hours will be crucial.
The IMOCA leaders of the Transat CIC have been negotiating the unsettled winds around the centre of an area of low pressure which is moving west.
They are all seeking to break into the new, strengthening NW’ly breeze first, picking the best and fastest angle west towards New York.
The first group includes Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) who also made big gains over the last few hours, Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) and Vendée Globe winner Yannick Bestaven (Maitre CoQ V).
Britain’s Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) has showed good pace and is currently the first female skipper sitting in 7th place, some 40 miles behind the leader.
As for the other international skippers, Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer) is in 10th place some 60 miles back, in 12th is Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (Teamwork – Team SNEF) while Italian Giancarlo Pedote (Prismyan) is 15th and Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Global One) is 17th.
Britain’s James Harayda (Gentoo Sailing Team) and Swiss-German, Ollie Heer (Oliver Heer Ocean Racing) are in in 22nd and 25th place respectively.
Yesterday (Mon), one of the race favourites Jérémie Beyou on Charal had to throw in the towel, as did three other IMOCA skippers and one Class40. Everyone’s motto seems to be: get through the low pressure unscathed and keep the boat safe.
At midday, 29 IMOCA boats were still racing following Jean Le Cam’s retirement (Tout commence en Finistère – Armor Lux), Sébastien Marsset (FOUSSIER) for medical reasons and Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline) suffering a problem with the port foil system.
Among the Class40s, also now heading west, there is a tight battle going on in the leading pack, with the top four, led by Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel), all within 10 miles of each other at the 2pm rankings.
There are now 12 Class40s racing, as Quentin Le Nabour has had to head back to Brittany due to a broken bowsprit on his new Mach 40.6 Class40 Bleu Blanc Planète Location.
Some 300 miles behind the leading IMOCA, the two Vintage boats got out of the front late this evening.
Early Tuesday afternoon, most of the fleet were heading west in a northerly air flow, which is set to strengthen as the day progresses, reaching 30 knots with seas that are also set to build to up to 4 metres.
