Barcelona World Race, Paprec Virbac 3 allunga il passo

Barcelona World Race – Barcellona – Mentre Alex Thompson, lasciato l’ospedale dove è stato sottoposto a un’appendicectomia d’urgenza due giorni prima dell’inizo della Barcelona World Race, ha deciso di viaggiare in auto verso l’Inghilterra per ridurre al minimo le possibilità di infezione e accellerare i tempi della convalescenza in vista del ritorno a bordo di Hugo Boss, i protagonisti della regata sono ormai tutti in Oceano Atlantico. Per nove dei quattordici IMOCA 60, infatti, il Mediterraneo è ormai un ricordo.

Le ultime ventiquattro ore hanno raccontato una storia particolarmente gradita all’orecchio di Jean Pierre Dick e Loick Peyron, abili nell’estendere la loro leadership grazie a un azzeccato bordo verso sud. Paprec Virbac 3 vanta ora un margine di quasi 60 miglia su Foncia e di oltre 100 su Mirabaud, salito in terza posizione grazie alle difficoltà meteo – vento praticamente in prua – incontrate da Estrella Damm subito dopo il passaggio dello Stretto di Gibilterra.

Alle spalle dei primi quattro resiste un gruppetto di altrettanti scafi, composto da Groupe Bel, GAES, Neutrogena e President, che avanza compatto dopo aver passato lo Stretto nel giro di un paio d’ore.

Chi, invece, deve ancora lasciare il Mediterraneo – Forum Maritim Catala, Renault, Central Lechera Asturiana e Hugo Boss – comincia a interrogarsi sulle reali possibilità di rientrare in gara. Certo, la regata è appena iniziata, ma ritrovarsi con oltre 300 miglia da recuperare a soli cinque giorni dal via è un dato di fatto che fa pensare e che incide pesantemente sul morale.

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BARCELONA WORLD RACE, PAPREC VIRBAC 3 EXTEND ITS LEAD
[Source Barcelona World Race] With nine boats of the 14 strong Barcelona World Race fleet now in the Atlantic, five having wrestled themselves clear of the clutches of Gibraltar Straits since yesterday evening, the open ocean breezes are offering all a chance to settle into a more regular routine. For those who have most recently fought clear, it is time to rebuild the reserves of energy after the taxing hours and days focused and frustrated.

Virbac-Paprec 3 leads Foncia this morning by 46 miles and then it is an almost equal gap back to Mirabaud. After a slightly problematic departure from the north side of the Straits in fifth Estrella Damm are about 25 miles behind fourth place. Presently the Barcelona duo Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes have a breeze which looks to be a little more on the nose, which will not be helping them as they try to pursue Dominique Wavre and Michele Paret.

Then this section of the fleet has ordered nicely into pairs with Neutrogena and GAES Centros Auditivos five miles different on the rankings in fifth and sixth. President and Mapfre popped clear of Gibraltar only ten minutes or so apart and there is just four miles of lateral separation between them this morning. Two hours ago that was just over 1 mile.

For the five boats still inside the bottle, trapped again by very light winds it looks like We Are Water have the best chance of getting clear next. After a circuitous route to get back up to the Spanish side, Jaume Mumbru (ESP) and Cali Sanmarti (ESP) were making a nice job of their approach, at just over 5 knots towards Gibraltar which was still 22 miles off. But they had slowed again this early morning. For the other four they have still got very little wind in the centre of a patch of very confused, light air. Even though Hugo Boss has nearly 300 miles to the leaders, Wouter Vebraak (NED) and Andy Meiklejohn (NZL) actually had a productive night and closed mileage on the boats in front of them.

The leading group are on the wind in about 12 knots of breeze with the three pace makers on roughly the same line. This breeze is forecast to hold for the next 48 hours or so allowing them to make good progress towards the Canaries, but there, and south of the Islands, there are very light winds and the NE’ly trade winds are well to the south at the moment

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