Transat Jacques Vabre: Banque Populaire takes the lead, breaks during the night

The Class40 sailors, that of the most fragile and slowest 12 meter monohulls in the Transat Jacques Vabre, experienced a rough and even distressing first night for some. The very tough weather conditions in the Channel with strong gusts of wind (30 knots) and very rough seas have already caused damage in this category which is sailing towards Lorient to take shelter and let the bad weather pass.

“It was the most violent first 24 hours I have experienced on a sailing boat. With a lot of wind, 30-35 knots, and especially a lot of sea at Raz Blanchard, where it hit hard. It was very impressive and we couldn't do anything,” confided Achille Nebout (Amaris) currently at the foot of the Class40 podium.

Crédit Mutuel in the hands of the pair Ian Lipinski-Antoine Carpentier, who was among the favorites for victory, has dismasted. Marine Tchalian experienced rudder problems and Dékuple hit a UFO. The boat's structure is damaged. Ambrogio Beccaria and Nicolas Andrieu currently dominate the hierarchy. At the 10:14 a.m. ranking, their monohull was traveling at 11.4 knots in the English Channel, north of Roscoff. For them and all the competitors in this category, the road will still be long and strewn with pitfalls before finding shelter in Lorient for a forced but welcome stopover.

The Ocean Fifty multihulls will soon be out of the woods. Solidarity in the peloton, helmed by the pair Vauchel-Camus and Quentin Vlamynck, is expected in the city of Morbihan around 11 a.m. this Monday. The duo took control of the race early in the night, Sunday evening. Finally, the Imoca Class is still stationary in Le Havre. No new departure date has yet been given by the organization for these Vendée Globe monohulls.

Also read Sailing: “It’s settled and behind us”… For the Ultim skippers, the Gabart affair is nothing more than a bad memory

The Ultims, these giant 32 meter multihulls, will not need to seek refuge in Lorient. The fleet of these flying giants has already set sail and was on Monday morning at the longitude of Ireland. The five crews remain grouped together for the moment, led by Banque Populaire in the lead. Leaving the Channel on Sunday evening, the duo began their first hours in the North Atlantic by opting for a southern option at the Ouessant rail. Armel Le Cleac'h and Sébastien Josse are ahead of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (7.5 miles) and SVR Lazartigue (25.8 miles) at 10:14. “There’s not much wind. I try to speed up the boat, sometimes it flies, sometimes it's a little harder. It’s quite technical,” confided François Gabart in ambush alongside Tom Laperche.

To track locations with live mapping, follow this link.