Route du Rhum settles down

The 3542 mile race to Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is settling down after a wild and furious start that saw 16 Solo skippers forced into Breton ports for repairs, and one of the favourites abandon the race. 

IMOCA Open 60 contender Vincent Riou who won the 2004-5 Vendée Globe and the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre with Jean Le Cam this time last year decided to abandon his Route du Rhum as soon as it became obvious that he could no longer achieve his goals.

A combination of damage to his mainsail track mounting and the fracture of a ballast tank wall away from the hull bottom meant his chances of adding the classic Route du Rhum to his list of 'successes' are dashed. He is one of 16 of the 91 starters to have now abandoned the race.

Pierre Antoine, skipper of the Multi50 Olmix, had to be airlifted off his boat early this afternoon. He raised the alarm this morning after he sustained damage to his main hull in an electrical storm. He was around 120 miles north of Cape Finisterre. As requested by race direction Class 40 leader Sébastien Rogues diverted to the rescue zone and stood by until the uninjured skipper was safely aboard the Spanish rescue helicopter.

Speaking after his dramatic rescue Antoine explained: "In fact the lightning struck the top of the mast. I later found the bulb from the masthead down on the ground. It came down through the mast right to the bottom. The boat is made of wood so it left a hole in the wood and right through the electrical cables which had caught fire. I thought first of all it was just alight, so I tried to put it out with the extinguisher, as I didn't think there was any hole.

"When I went inside the boat, there was already 50 cm of water and she was beginning to go bow down. After that, the water just kept rising. I found bits of wood floating around. It's the sort of thing that never happens. It's crazy. Luckily I wasn't inside the boat, seeing it had burnt everywhere. I could have been sitting in front of the computer. I can't imagine what would have happened… The screens exploded and everything turned to dust…"

In the Bay of Biscay and off Cape Finisterre the racing conditions remain tough, but mostly manageable. Winds have been averaging 20-25kts but with big gusts to 35kts. Between the leaders and the fleet back markers La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race now extends to nearly 1000 nautical miles. The super-fast Ultimes are due to pass Madeira this evening, relishing sunshine and trade winds sailing while the back of the Class 40 fleet and the Rhum class are still be subjected to more Atlantic low pressure system weather, strong winds and challenging seas.

For the leading duo in the Ultimes there is the prospect of steadily improving conditions. This morning race leader Loick Peyron said that he could anticipate 'light at the end of the tunnel'. But over the first 24 hours he was on the edge of exhaustion and had dropped off asleep momentarily several times when he was in control of his giant Ultime Maxi Solo Banque Populaire. As the seas evened out this afternoon the acceleration is noticeable, the leaders averaging 27kts. Peyron leads Yann Guichard on Spindrift 2 by 67 miles while the performance of Sébastien Josse on the smaller Multi70 Group Edmond de Rothschild is remarkable, once again a loud endorsement for the former MOD70 design. Josse is more or less even with Spindrift on the  rankings. They will pass Madeira this evening and then tomorrow have to make the strategic decision when to gybe and head more directly towards Guadeloupe. Thereafter it will be almost directly downwind, time to make hay.

Francois Gabart, leading the IMOCA Open 60 Class by 43 miles this afternoon, asserted this morning that 'it is far from easy'. But as he did on his Vendée Globe circumnavigation last year, he has a habit of making it look straightforward. On Macif he has led since the start line on Sunday afternoon and, having lost Riou, one of his Port La Foret training mates and key rivals, has three times La Solitaire winner Jeremie Beyou in second and Marc Guillemot in third. Tanguy de Lamotte spoke today of his desire to get back on the race course on Initiatives Coeur and he was reported to be nearing completion of his rudder repairs late this afternoon.

In the Multi 50 Class there are five boats left racing from 11 starters but the battle off Cape Finisterre today has been engaging while Lalou Roucayrol has profited from the more direct course, closer to the rhumb line on Arkema Region Aquitaine and so is leading by 44 miles over Yves Le Blevec on Actual and Erwan Le Roux's FenetreA-Cardinal which are 11 miles apart.

Class 40s leader is now Thibault Vauchel-Camus on Solidaires du Peloton, erstwhile leader Rogues returning to full race mode after his SOS diversion to stand by the sinking Multi50. He has dropped to third but past precedents suggest he will be compensated for his detour by a jury decision.

Then in Rhum Class it remains Sardinia's Andrea Mura repeating his act of 2010 leading by 45 miles. Sir Robin Knox Johnston lies in 11th place going steadily, "All well aboard." He reported today, " Put up more sail this morning. Nice to be showing as much as 15 knots occasionally, but for an older boat she does drive easily on a reach. Not sure of the wind speed as the wind direction and course has given up."

More at: http://www.routedurhum.com

Photo: ALEXIS COURCOUX