After rounding the first course mark of the Saint Marcouf archipelago early yesterday evening the 30 crews still out on the racetrack navigated the English Channel at a good lick thanks to a W’ly breeze of twenty knots or so, gusting to 28 knots. With the Class40s relishing the reaching conditions, the first duos took just 3 hours to make the passage from Barfleur to the east of the Isle of Wight. As a result, the head of the fleet in this 16th edition of the CIC Normandy Channel Race already have the vagaries of the Solent astern of them.
Timing the tidal gates to best effect at the entrance to the Solent, the rounding of the Isle of the Wight was quickly devoured by the first part of the fleet, mirroring their swift negotiation of the event’s opening section along French shores. Not so fortunate, the second group of competitors were having to punch tide and cope with a great slew of traffic out on the water as a result of the bank holiday in England and the finish of the RORC’s Myth of Malham race.
Upon exiting the Solent, the skippers have to make their first major strategic choices: rounding to the north or south of TSS Casquets. Essentially, they must decide between a longer course with a better angle in relation to the wind and hence a faster speed or trying their luck on a more direct course albeit at a slower pace. Like the big five (Amarris, Esprit Large, Legallais, Crédit Mutuel and Sogestran – Seafrigo) who have been leading the way since the start, the bulk of the competitors have opted for a southerly route, forcing them to head back into the middle of the English Channel on a course towards the Channel Islands. At the time of writing, solely the Class40 Bleu Blanc Planète Location (205) has been trying its luck on port tack to the north of the TSS Casquets, picking its way along the south coast of England.
The wind and sea conditions are manageable for now, but they’re set to deteriorate over the course of the day making way for some tougher conditions in the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The Class40 Jufosa (4), skippered by Dirk Eggers and Finn Groetzner, has officially retired from the race in light of the upcoming forecast. Meantime, the crew on CEC Belco (147), Louis Mayaud and Alexandre Béllangé, are on a technical pit stop in Hamble after ripping their J1 headsail.
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