Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue) is back leading the ARKÉA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest fleet this Thursday morning.
Although Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) was briefly on top after he was first to tack through the front last night, Tom Laperche is back leading the fleet this Thursday morning.
The leading duo have only seven miles of lateral separation and both are racing on a SW course at more than 35 kts, now in the NWW’ly breeze of around 20kts.
All of the leading four boats seem to have made it through the big front last night, seeing winds up to 40kts at times, as per the forecast.
It was around about 22:00hrs last night when Caudrelier was first to get to the windshift and tack in heavy seas and stormy winds, quickly followed by SVR-Lazartigue, Sodebo Ultim 3 and the Maxi Banque Populaire XI.
And though the speeds have built again they have had a spell close reaching down the back of the axis of the front which means the seas are confused and the wind is very up and down and shifty.
The second pair, Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire XI) and Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) are very close, too, and about 35 miles behind the leading duo and should catch more as the leaders descend into the lighter transition zone first.
Meantime Éric Péron is around 340 miles further back up the track and will go through the front on Adagio shortly whilst Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim) tacked through at around 0100hrs UTC and is making decent progress.
The wind will lift to go more NW today which will see them take in more westing to find the transition to an easterly trade wind Thursday morning.
Follow the race tracking on https://www.arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en
