Monday brought little relief for the crews competing along the French coast, with frustratingly light winds dominating the day. The real action came overnight, when conditions finally allowed the fleet to get up on their foils and push past 25 knots heading south towards Barcelona's latitude. Five boats managed to separate themselves from the pack, and Paprec Arkéa held firm at the front throughout. Yoann Richomme and his crew were first through the Santo Stefano scoring gate early this morning, crossing less than one minute ahead of Allagrande Mapei Racing in one of the closest finishes imaginable.
For sailors who thrive on speed and relish flying across the water at 30 knots, a day spent crawling along the French coastline in near-calm conditions is genuinely difficult. That was the reality for the Ocean Race Europe fleet as it made its way from Nice towards the Îles du Levant on Monday. "It's not easy, we haven't slept much, and the lack of wind means lots of tacks, sail changes and gybes," said Will Harris of Team Malizia.
Yoann Richomme described Monday's racing as essentially a coastal tactical exercise, played out at low speed. "The day was basically a small tactical coastal race, playing with the wind, moving closer to shore to catch the thermal breeze," he said. Even so, conditions weren't entirely dead. "There was always a little puff," the Paprec Arkéa skipper noted, adding: "There were times when it was very soft… We know we have to stay at the helm and keep trimming as much as possible."
Nicolas Lunven of Holcim-PRB echoed the sentiment. "It was a day of light winds, but we're all trying to be patient, chasing every little gust," he said, describing the racing as "a very subtle kind of sailing" that "can also be very enjoyable." Will Harris found a silver lining too. "It's not unpleasant once it stabilises," he said. With flat water at least offering a degree of comfort and stability, crews could take in the scenery of the French Riviera while waiting for breeze to fill in.
Through Monday night and into Tuesday, little changed along the coast. Team Amaala lost some ground, but the six leading boats stayed within roughly ten miles of one another. The critical question, as Harris put it, was straightforward: "We know we're in the right pack, but the big question is who's going to catch the wind first and break away."
The answer came in the early hours of Tuesday morning. From around 0400, the boats finally found pressure, lifting onto their foils and accelerating hard. "After getting clear of the islands near Porquerolles, we managed to hook into the tramontane, which allowed us to accelerate and enjoy a long, fast stretch all the way to Barcelona," Richomme explained. Speeds climbed beyond 25 knots, and the race transformed completely.
The Santo Stefano scoring gate, positioned further offshore this time rather than close to the start, became the focal point. As Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive dropped back, two distinct tactical approaches emerged among the leading five. Paprec Arkéa, Team Malizia, Allagrande Mapei Racing, and Biotherm all committed to a more westerly line, while Team Holcim-PRB pushed a touch further east.
The fight to the gate was intense. Paprec Arkéa, having held the lead since the previous day, crossed first to claim two points, with Allagrande Mapei Racing taking one point. The fleet now continues south, though the current strong conditions may be short-lived. Richomme offered a candid forecast: "By tomorrow evening, we should be back in light winds!" Whether that brings another reshuffle to the standings remains to be seen.
Ranking at Santo Stefano Scoring Gate
Paprec Arkéa - 07:33:24 CEST - 2 points
Allagrande Mapei Racing - 07:34:21 CEST - 1 point
