The tone was set from the very first miles of this second leg of Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables: time for solo racing, strategy and consistency. At 14:00 French time, the 23 Class40s still racing left Horta in a medium wind, skirting the spectacular cliffs of Espalamaca before heading northeast, leaving the island of São Jorge to starboard.
Luca Rosetti, leader in the overall rankings, got off to a great start, quickly followed by William Mathelin-Moreaux and Guillaume Pirouelle, both determined to play a leading role in this new crossing format. Quentin Le Nabour (Bleu Blanc Planète Location) was the highlight of the early part of the race, crossing paths with a whale calf - an almost ordinary encounter in this biodiversity sanctuary.
This second part of the race promises to be straightforward, but no less demanding. It takes on a special dimension: for the first time, the sailors face the 1,270-mile solo race from the Azores to Vendée. A unique challenge that demands total commitment.
Belgian Djemila Tassin makes no secret of her emotion: "This is the moment when we reap the rewards of all the hard work we've put in over the last few months. Once we're at sea, it's all gone. But this is the last moment when we touch everything we've put in place. And these are moments that you don't often experience over the year, and they're full of emotion. I'm where I wanted to be, and that's what counts," she explained as she cast off.
The more experienced William Mathelin-Moreau was eager to take to the sea alone aboard “Les Invicibles”: "It's a different way of sailing, especially when it comes to sleeping. We have to be autonomous from A to Z. It's up to us to maneuver the boat, check the weather and get it moving. It's very complete, and we push ourselves even harder than when sailing double-handed. It's a different kind of exercise that I love.
A decisive leg
In sporting terms, the gaps remain extremely tight: less than two hours separate the top ten at the end of the first leg. Luca Rosetti (Maccaferri Futura) will have to defend his position against a tightly-packed fleet.
"There are quite a few possible weather options with very different choices since the start. We've worked hard on this and we'll see how things develop. We're going to have to rack our brains. The gaps are very small. We're in for a decisive race," says Guillaume Pirouelle (Seafrigo - Sogestran) from Le Havre, 4th in the overall rankings.
The next few hours will be crucial in determining the first options. The suspense is total for the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne, which is less than a week away. Everyone is dreaming of arriving in time to watch the fireworks at the entrance to the channel.
Guillaume Pirouelle (Seafrigo - Sogestran)
"We're off on a decisive race, especially as it's single-handed.
"The second leg is pretty indecisive. There are quite a few possible weather options, with very different choices right from the start. We've done a lot of work on the subject, so we'll see how things develop. We'll have to rack our brains. The gaps are very small. We're in for a decisive race, especially as it's single-handed. It's very different."
Quentin Le Nabour (Bleu Blanc Planète Location)
“It's a first achievement, and a great opportunity to gauge ourselves.”
"It's going to be a complicated leg. We're still in the hour of choices, with the latest weather files coming in. I'm focused on the decisions I need to make right from the start of the race. The first few hours are going to be decisive. This is my first solo race with this boat. We're putting our plans together to experience this kind of moment. It's a first achievement, and a great opportunity to measure ourselves against the others."
Greg Leonard (Swift)
"I'm looking forward to the start. It's been a great time here in Horta."
"Everything's going well, the boat's ready. The weather conditions are looking good, a bit slow, but there won't be much maneuvering from what I saw this morning. I can't wait for the start. It's been a great time here in Horta. It's beautiful, the island is superb. We saw some whales, which was great."
Yves Courbon (Ocean Connect)
“We came here to have fun, so we might as well make the most of it!”
"It's best to stay relaxed, it's a good time. We came to have fun, so we might as well enjoy it. Conditions are pretty mild. It's going to be a long drive a priori, so I might miss the 14th of July! We've been made very welcome here in Horta. Thanks to the organization and the town. I'll be back! The second stage will start fairly quickly. I like solo sailing. The boats are safe, and if there's too much wind, we reduce the sail."
Christophe Rateau (Gustave Roussy)
“Solo, you're up against yourself... You have to sleep well to stay in shape.”
"I'm almost more ready than usual. We've had time to test everything, to tinker. I'm pretty serene. My only fear is how long it will take, but I'll be fine. It's been a while since I raced solo. This is my first time in a Class40, so it's a bit of a change in size, but I've done quite a few in the past. The thing we fear most is sleep. When you're sailing double-handed, you support each other and manage any damage together. When you're sailing solo, you're on your own, so you need to sleep well to stay in shape. We always come back to sleep!"
Sasha Lanièce (Alderan)
“What I like about soloing is taking on walls and finding solutions on my own.”
"This departure is different from the others. It's a half-transat solo. I've done them before, but this is my first time racing, my first time offshore. It's great that the weather isn't too bad, because these are big boats. It's going to be technical, and that's going to help me progress. What I like about solo sailing is taking on walls and finding solutions on my own. In the end, you realize that you're capable of doing some crazy stuff."
Pierre-Louis Attwell (Vogue with Crohn's)
“I'm very happy to be going solo again.”
"We're lucky: for a solo resumption, the conditions are pretty mild. There'll be a bit of air at the start, so conditions are fine, not too bad. There will be some strategic passages and choices to make in terms of positioning in the fleet in relation to the weather systems, but I'm setting off with peace of mind. My last solo race was the Route du Rhum, so that's a bit of a long way back. We've prepared well in training, and I'm very happy to be going solo again."
Tracking :Cartographie
Source : LSOVCL / Mathieu Honoré
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