As the boats left the harbor, the atmosphere was reminiscent of the great ocean races, with cheers and applause for each boat that cast off: it was a celebration of sailors and landlubbers on this sunny Sunday in Grau du Roi Port-Camargue, a warm farewell to these dream skippers.
By mid-day, the Bay of Aigues-Mortes was swarming with boats from ports all along the Occitan coastline, joining the horde of safety boats, media and partners to accompany these twenty-five duos and their fabulous steeds, ready to unleash the “horses” at the 1 p.m. gun.
After a gentle start, the light mistral wind that had waved the flags in the morning gave way to a southerly wind shift, forcing the skippers to maneuver, tack and gybe to make the most of the afternoon's light airs, before an awakening of the Aeolian wind allowed them to accelerate.
In this game, everything was open, mixing favorites and outsiders, in Class40 as well as in Ocean Fifty, in this naval battle, this war of nerves, between Port-Camargue and Sète.
At the end of the day, the fleet will reach the marker buoy anchored in front of the Théâtre de la Mer, a sign, at last, of liberation to the open sea.
Changing course
We all knew that the Mediterranean was changeable and confusing. For several days now, Guillaume Rottée and Estelle Graveleau have been working with the race committee, suspecting that the weather forecast for the western Mediterranean would cause them headaches. And some course adjustments. The day before the start, in agreement with Kito de Pavant, the two routes were changed.
The nine multihulls will pass through the Bouches de Bonifacio, forgetting the detour to the island of Stromboli, before turning right south of Sardinia, towards the Balearics, and then “descending” to Morocco and the Oriental region. “It's more reasonable in terms of weather conditions,” hailed Luke Berry (Le Rire Médecin Lamotte). “New course, new race, that's the magic of our sport,” said Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton).
After the buoy at Sète, the Class40s will head due south towards the island of Menorca, which is on their right, before crossing the passage between Ibiza and Formentera.
“And there'll be more play, we'll have chances, with our old boats”, explained Mathieu Claveau (Prendre la Mer - Agir pour la forêt). Corentin Douguet (Centrakor) is reassured: “With Sardinia, we were heading for a wall. This time, there'll be some play, with two gates in the Balearics, which will allow the race directors to readjust if necessary.
Always happy to get out on the water, in any case, these skippers are expected at Saïdia Resorts at the end of the week, where they will receive a warm and festive Moroccan welcome.
Source : Med Max Organization
Tracking : Med Max - La course en double 100% Méditerranée (med-max.org)
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