Barcelona World Race, Neutrogena chipping back miles in the south

Atlantic Ocean – While race leaders Cheminées Poujoulat have stepped slightly south with four gybes in the last couple of days, Neutrogena continue to exploit the more direct route in the south, paralleling the exclusion zone in better, stronger breeze than that of the race leaders Bernard Stamm and Jean Le Cam.

Guillermo Altadill and José Munoz have caught up from being computed to be 209 miles behind the pacemakers, to a delta of just 87 miles. The north south divide between the two leaders has been cut by half and while Altadill again confirmed he is happy with their positioning, he sounded like he would like to move to be on the same system as the leaders, when the time and opportunity arises.

“Now we may try to move closer to Cheminées Poujoulat in terms of latitude, to sail in the same meteo system as them, because it’s quite risky to sail in a different meteo system. We Will try to do it and get closer to them, and we have to negociate the depression coming from behind, to find a place where we have wind but not too much neither too many big seas that don’t allow to sail fast” said Altadill.

Stronger winds are expected for all of the top three boats, GAES Centros Auditivos in the middle lane between the two leaders, albeit 500 miles back, has had over 30kts today much more like the ‘brochure’ conditions of the south. Cheminées Poujoulat could see a gusty 40kts for a time.

Related post

Barcelona World Race, Neutrogena coming back miles Barcelona World Race, the big game Barcelona World Race, matched up for a duel in the South Barcelona World Race, opportunities in Capo Verde?