Early this morning, Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM Donate!) were the first to enter the port of La Coruña, crossing the first finish line at 0805hrs. Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau followed 21 minutes late Right behind the first two, Achille Nebout and Gildas Mahé completed the podium, finishing this first leg 0853hrs UTC. Spain’s Pep Costa and Pablo Santurde finished fourth on VSF Sports at 0925hrs.
While the majority of the fleet should be tucked up in the Galician haven by tomorrow, some boats are still far behind. The finish line in La Coruña will close on Friday, October 31st at 1500hrs UTC. Competitors who don't cross it in time will be classified as DNF ("did not finish"). They will, however, be able to start the second leg; their time from the first leg will be calculated based on the time of the last competitor to finish plus 6 hours.
Beyond the regulations, the race organizers are, of course, keeping a close eye on the skippers who will still be at sea when the front passes. “We are closely monitoring seven or eight boats that won’t arrive before noon tomorrow, but there are escape routes, notably Gijón, whose entrance is well protected from the swell,” said race director Francis Le Goff this morning. “If they all sail like good sailors, it should go well.”
From Friday onwards, the front should move eastward, leaving a still choppy sea but with improving conditions. As race meteorologist Pierre-Yves Guillerm (Météo France) explains: “A high-pressure system is developing off the Azores. By noon on Saturday, we expect a southwesterly flow of around 10-15 knots over La Coruña with gusts around 20 knots.” In terms of wind, conditions will be manageable. A window for a restart is therefore opening up between Saturday and Sunday.
Race Control is monitoring it closely to ensure the Class40s maintain their momentum and get back into the race as quickly as possible in optimal conditions.
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