Before starting this 2300 nm race, the boats’ reduced crew (between 2 and 4 crew members) had to sail from the îlet Gosier to Marie-Galante with an Easterly wind and large swell particulary near Marie Galante.
Not surprisingly, all of the favourites crossed the starting line side by side as soon as the start was given.
Behind Made in Midi (Kito De Pavant and Alex Pella), Catherine Pourre (Eärendil), Aymeric Chappellier (Aïna Enfance et Avenir), Loïc Fequet (Tibco) and Luke Berry (Lamotte-Module Création) headed for Trois Rivières at more than 12 knots.
Spread over 12 Class40s, the 39 sailors, among them 4 women, will quickly meet the open sea where the weather conditions should allow high speed at least during the 3 first days.
One remaining uncertainty concerns the conditions of the arrival in the Azores in 8 or 9 days.
Source: GPO / Défi Atlantique
