Christophe Bachmann is breathing easier after punching through a brutal low-pressure system that threw gusts of up to 70 knots and towering seas at his Vintage Mono entry in the Route du Rhum.
The French skipper has described 48 gruelling hours at sea, a stretch where the only real objective was keeping the boat in one piece.
Survival sailing, essentially.
Bachmann said the priority throughout the ordeal was to protect his boat rather than chase speed or position. Conditions of that severity, 70-knot gusts combined with a heavy sea state, are enough to test boat and skipper alike in any class, let alone a Vintage Mono built to a different era's standards.
Now the weather has eased.
With the worst of the depression behind him, Bachmann is finding pace again and has spoken of his relief at the improving conditions. He's also pleased to be sailing back into company, with other competitors visible nearby once more as the fleet continues its long haul toward Guadeloupe.
Solo sailors spend long stretches entirely alone with their boat and their thoughts. After two days of heavy weather, catching sight of a rival's sail on the horizon can lift morale as much as any change in the barometer.
The Vintage Mono class adds its own flavour to the Route du Rhum, with older-generation boats tackling the same brutal stretch of Atlantic as the modern IMOCAs and Ultims, albeit at a different pace and with different margins for error. Bachmann's account of the past two days shows just how exposed sailors in these smaller, older boats are when a system like this rolls through.
For now, though, the drama has passed. Bachmann is back up to speed, sailing in company, and pointed toward Guadeloupe, with the worst of the depression firmly in his wake.
