You have to catch the wind if you want a ride in the high speed elevator up the 100 mile coastal route before the great descent out to sea towards the capital of the Asturias. Last night, the wind gave a hard knock to the left, propelling the soloists who had gone into battle in the west, out to the north and into the maze of islands which mark out the route of their pilgrimage. Yeu, Noirmoutier, Hoëdic, Houat… and Belle Ile. Armel Le Cléac’h (Créaline) was the first to hoist his way into the front ranks and lead the fleet to the point of Quiberon.

The first night at sea was marked with high speeds with Kito de Pavant (Malice) and Philippe Vicariot (Thales) hanging onto one another and working wonders in the lead ! For the others it was a completely different story. The break away was messed up and they were left with only their eyes to set the sails upwind and watch the others take to their heels. That’s exactly what Eric Drouglazet (David Olivier) and Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) experienced at the start of this third leg where the stakes are high. Of course, there is still everything to play for and any turns for the worse in the capricious weather in the remaining time could reshuffle the cards again. Particularly in the approach to Gijon, renowned for being a perilous theatre for landing when the unreliable breezes and becalmed conditions mix together. But still the first gaps have been established and have succeeded in relegating the two big clients for the best places on the podium, to the wake of the forerunners. While the fleet direct their bows southwards on passage from Belle Ile, it’s quite a different chapter in the race which is being played out.

At 1400 hours, a rapid scan of the horizon for the fleet shows that a group of eight soloists are holding out on the high, on a close broad reach in 6 to 10 knots of wind from the north west. Belle Ile was passed on the stroke of 9, all packed together in a 1.3 mile handkerchief with some turn-over in store as the next positions are broadcast ! Philippe Vicariot (Thales), the first to direct his bow towards Poulains is already there. In the company of Armel Le Cléac’h (Créaline) and Charles Caudrelier Benac (Bostik Findley), he has just been overtaken by his "team" mate Erwan Tabarly (Thales-Armor Lux) who is having a thundering start to his lap. As for Kito de Pavant (Malice), he is making steady progress just less than a mile behind. In the wake of these leaders, grouped together around the direct course with only 1.5 miles in length separating them, follow a second little band of monotypes. It’s here that we find Eric Drouglazet (David Olivier), who is rather unhappy to have missed the train for Belle Ile and to be positioned 7.40 miles on the heels of the frontrunners. We note too that in 24th and 25th positions, crossing on a westerly route, Alain Ferec (Hôtel Vauban Camaret sur Mer) and Laurent Nabart (Ajaccio – Corse du Sud) are attempting their own option. As for Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert), he’s currently skulking at the bottom of the rankings … 26 miles from the head of the fleet ! Bizarre. The « green giant » really seems to be tangled up in his route hugging the coast, though he is progressing at a speed and trajectory give no reason for alarm.

So there we have a round-up of the troops who are progressing at a reliable rate. 115 miles have been covered in 24 hours. For the rest of the race from now on it will comprise the passage of a stormy depression. Some squalls to thrash out and some rehearsed manœuvres in adapting the sails according to the changes in humour of the winds. The follow-up is shaping up to be electric for the soloists who have unfurled very little since the Sables d’Olonne.

Echos from the sea

 Eric Drouglazet (David Olivier) : « It’s far from great ! We made a choice and we have been sealed off close to shore. But I’m not too worried, we’re going to have some weaker wind, so we hope that that will sort things out from behind. Since then we have pulled out all the stops. We’ll see if we can get back into the match, maybe in the thunderstorms. You never know what is going to happen on the run up to Gijon, nothing can be predicted. I prefer an uncertain weather forecast to an established wind, there’s going to be some gaps opening out on this leg, it’ll be like the national lottery 5 miles from the finish. »

 Arnaud Boissières (Delta Dore & Partenaires) : The weather is good, everything would be fine except the leading boats are at least 15 or 20 miles ahead. The others have gone off to the left under spinnaker, me I went off to the right. We just cannot catch them. We’re a bit out of the game, but we’ll make the best of it. There will doubtless be some situations that can be played around with, there’s no time to relax your arms. As long as the finish line at Cherbourg remains uncrossed, nothing is set in stone. »

 Charles Caudrelier Bénac (Bostik Findley) : « The wind is uncertain and I’m in with a good group but I remain wary... It could come in quickly from the front or it could leave from the front. I’m continuing to play it carefully and I’m constantly trimming the sails. »

 Gilles Chiorri (3201 de Météo Consult) : « I didn’t think the climb up against the wind would make so much difference. After the island of Yeu, you mustn’t go inland. Droug and Morvan persisted in this option. The clouds are beginning to thicken and the sky is getting lower and lower, you can smell the approaching storms. The forecasts in the last 24 hours don’t show the winds we’ve had. There’ll be some squalls to follow, we’re expecting « fireworks », where you have to be on deck, ready to manœuvre, and get out the little spinnakers. We hope to get going again, we know Gijon has a complicated approach. »

Laure Faÿ