The biggest test so far

At the back side of the low the IMOCAs are slamming hard, it is gusty and hard to live through, but whilst they should be out of the worst of it and into a calmer transition zone in the next few hours, it has been very much the calm before the start for Dalin and Simon.

In a video message this morning Simon, who is in second place, said, “I am sharing the last moments of calm before the storm which is coming, the depression is just behind us. I have worked hard at the routing and we should get shelter in the middle of the depression, we should have some calmer conditions, these last hours are magnificent with an amazing sunrise, I don’t know why the Indian Ocean brings these surprises like this, it is hard to know. I have prepared the boat and everything.” 

Conditions should be easier and faster for the group on the north east of the system where Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) is making 22 knots this morning with Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) 20 nautical miles behind, third and fourth respectively. Whilst Dalin and Simon are going to have a rough 36 hours with gusts to 40 knots and more and big seas, the Richomme, Ruyant and co on the northerly trajectory might be able to pull back some miles.

In tenth this morning, Mettraux reported, “Physically and mentally, I’m fine, I’d just like a little more sleep. But at the moment the sea conditions make it hard to rest, it’s really slamming. In four or five hours I should be out of it so it should be better, and the wind will gradually ease too, so it will improve too. As you can hear at the moment it’s really not very pleasant neither for me nor for the boat. I’ve been in a group with Sam Davies for several days, and especially Clarisse Crémer and Boris Herrmann, and it’s great, it allows us to compare ourselves, the speeds, the choices,. And so that is stimulating in that rather than being alone in your corner without necessarily knowing what we’re doing right or wrong.”

“I chose to take a more Southerly route, it was the course that the routing suggested to us and then from now on we have two choices: a route a little more North or a little more South. The southern route seems to be freeing up a bit, so I’m pretty well positioned for that. In fact it’s making me go around a small anticyclone that’s setting up behind the depression we’re currently moving with and catch some wind behind it, so I think I’ll stay on this southern trajectory, we also know that it shortens the route too so don’t underestimate that! In any case the last files from the evening seem to confirm this option for me.”

“I’m in 20-25 knots of wind, on quite a tight reach and the wind will gradually ease, I hope the sea too because I’m crossing a last vein of the Agulhas Current, so I have to hold on for a few more hours, after that the wind will only ease and continue to lift, I’ll have a tack tomorrow morning to head south and catch some wind behind the small anticyclone that’s going to pass over us.” 

Meantime three more skippers crossed the Cape of Good Hope yesterday evening and this morning Bureau Vallée at 1609hrs UTC yesterday afternoon, Medallia at 00:55hrs this morning and Groupe APICIL at 04:39:53hrs.