The skipper of Sogestran-Seafrigo is locked in a genuine match race with Achille Nebout (Amarris) as he fights to hold onto the lead, a duel made harder by a fleet that still cannot shake off a stubbornly persistent depression.
The frustration is palpable. "We've just gone through the front, the wind has turned and it's hitting a lot harder. The sea has become really difficult. We should see the end of it in about ten hours or so, but what's hard is how long this has dragged on. We've been in this for two days now and it's truly exhausting. I'm at the end of my tether. I've had very little sleep, it's moving around enormously and, as soon as we manage to close our eyes, a jolt wakes us up. I'm getting a bit sick of this depression!"
The conditions have been unpredictable, too. "Yesterday we had a lot more wind than forecast, even though strong winds were already expected: 40 to 45 knots established. The sea was fairly well oriented, it was hitting us, but reasonably so. Now that the wind has turned, we're taking the waves more head-on and the impacts are much more violent. On the other hand, we've got less wind than forecast."
It is a fine balance to strike. "We know we're over-stressing the boats and, at the same time, we're somewhat forced to. It's always a game with those around us. It's not simple to manage because we prepare a sail configuration expecting things to build, and in the end we don't know if it will. Mentally, all these noises and this constant worry, it's quite exhausting. I know I'll get my smile back when conditions calm down. I'm very happy with where I am, the race is going really well. But I also know that, in these conditions, everything can stop on a wave taken a bit too violently. That's mainly what's occupying my thoughts."
