The Class40 skippers have been absolutely flying along! Having spent a large part of the race protecting themselves from the rough weather, the skippers have finally been able to put pedal to the metal and express the true potential of their steeds. On a reach, a point of sail particularly relished by the scow bows, the crews have devoured the miles, posting blistering peak speeds of over 18 knots. As a result, barely 20 hours after rounding Fastnet lighthouse, the leaders are already navigating the waters off the Channel Islands. Still heading the fleet in this 16th edition of the CIC Normandy Channel Race, Esprit Large (209), helmed by Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin, have seen their lead melt away with every passing hour. Sogestran – Seafrigo (197) and Legallais (199) are continuing to pile on the pressure, 6 and 9 miles astern respectively. Due to close on the Cotentin peninsula with favourable conditions, the section across the Alderney Race and past Barfleur, which is renowned for its strong currents, should not pose too much of an issue for the top five in the ranking. Given this scenario, the denouement for this already historic edition is expected to play out between 16:00 and 18:00 hours French time today.
Stretched out across the entire Irish Sea, the tail end of the fleet is still making headway in a bracing 20-25 knots of SW’ly breeze. Though three Class40s are still plugging their way up to the Fastnet rock, the Courbon brothers, Yves and Renaud, respectively at the helm of Ocean Connect (177) and Forvis Mazars (169), and the Belgian-Swiss crew on Belgium Ocean Racing (153) successfully rounded the legendary lighthouse overnight. Heading the sharp bow ranking since the start of the race, it’s worth noting the stand-out performance being posted by Djemila Tassin and Simon Koster. The former, a Belgian skipper, is a newcomer to Class40, while the Swiss skipper won the 2020 edition of this race, and together they clearly excel in these particularly lively conditions.
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