For eight days straight, this fleet of dual-sex crews has been enjoying some pretty lovely-looking downwind sailing since they set off from northern France on April 20. Spinnakers have been up virtually non-stop since the start, but while it may appear idyllic from behind our keyboards and screens, the incessant sail changes and strategic gybing routines has meant bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived sailors across the fleet.
Despite that, it clear that the crews are having tremendous fun on this incredible adventure. I don't have the stats but I'm sure the bulk of the sailors are racing transatlantic for the first time. Judging by the videos coming back from the boats, everyone has been enjoying surfing conditions – with the breeze in the teens and low twenties, the boats have been humming along at double-digit speeds.
Over the weekend the fleet rounded the only turning mark on the 3,890-nautical-mile course, a waypoint just north of the volcanic island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. It was a windy night time rounding for some with winds reportedly up to 45 knots at times.
As the leader made the turn just 21 miles separated the top 10 teams who were the first to hook into some tradewind reaching conditions as they pointed their bows westward towards the finish line in St Barths.
As I am writing this at 1700 CET on Monday April 28 the whole fleet – minus one retiral due to spinnaker damage – is rolling along at 10 knot average boat speeds in around 15 knots of southerly breeze. Raw boatspeed is what is going to make the difference now and the fleet is starting to spread out as the crews try to get into the rhythm of their watch periods and try to avoid costly broaches that could result in sail or boat damage.
The record time for the race is 18 days, and five hours by Nils Palmieri and Julien Villion in 2021 (before the mixed sex rule was adopted). In this latest edition the current ETA for the leaders is May 10. That means another 12 days of racing – with cat-naps in damp bunks, bleary night shifts, and reheating freeze-dried food for nourishment.
No doubt, it's going to be tough for all of them, but I very much get the sense that not one of the competitors wants to be anywhere else but out on the Atlantic aboard their 36-foot boats enjoying the adventure of a lifetime.
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