Halfway There
The timing couldn't be better for the two races currently bringing this week's Class40 Championship to life.
In Ireland, the fleet has just rounded the northernmost mark of the island. Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, the Class40 competitors reached Barcelona yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday, the videos sent from the Emerald Isle showed nothing but smiling faces. After three and a half days of painstaking tactical sailing in near-calm conditions—sometimes even dropping anchor to avoid drifting backwards—the crews finally had something to celebrate. A solid westerly breeze eventually filled in, allowing them to post respectable average speeds at last.
And as good news rarely comes alone, the leading boats also reached the halfway point of the race near Ireland's northern tip. In the lead since the start, VSF, skippered by Pep Costa, is still holding off Luca Rosetti aboard Maccaferri Futura. Just one nautical mile separates the two boats, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling finish through the notoriously tricky North Channel between Ireland and Great Britain.
One prediction, however, already seems certain: the Round Ireland Yacht Race speed record will remain untouched this year.
Alongside the eight Class40 entries, attention is also focused on two other members of the Class40 association, Axel Trhéin and Antoine Carpentier. Racing aboard Courrier Pogo, currently leading the IRC Class 2 fleet, they jokingly complained yesterday—ironically enough—that they were cold!
Follow the race tracker of Round Ireland Yacht Race here
They too have now reached the halfway mark.
In the Mediterranean, all eight Class40 duos competing in the Massilia Cup Offshore – Destination Barcelona crossed the finish line in the Catalan capital yesterday afternoon. Once again, the 195-nautical-mile opening leg was dominated by very light winds. Little breeze, intense heat and constant concentration left the crews arriving in Spain feeling thoroughly exhausted.
Having led from Marseille, Germany's Chris Kerl and Luis Brito aboard Aquamarin delivered a flawless performance to claim the opening leg.
The finishing margins perfectly illustrate how closely contested the race was: just 29 seconds separated Marine Feuerstein and Ambre Hasson (Mer Connexion), who secured an impressive second place, from the formidable Mathieu Claveau and Anthony Streicher aboard Phare40. Omar Naas and Louis Torreilles (Stella Nova) were only 40 seconds further back, taking fourth place after another outstanding performance.
Everything is now in place for what already promises to be a thrilling return leg—more because of the competition than the weather. The start back to Marseille is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday 25 June, and forecasts are calling for less than 20 km/h of wind once again. More than enough to give the sailors plenty to think about, even if there won't be many knots to rack up on the speedometer!
Follow the tracker of the second leg here
