3 NOVEMBER

It’s the weather that attracts attention on -3 days to the start of the Route du Rhum. “It will be necessary to be seamen, rather than sailors”,summarised Alberto Bona at the end of today’s study session. “The first disturbance will select the fleet; our goal is not to break anything and move on, to get to the South, where conditions will be better. We have to be good seamen, to better manage navigation against waves and wind”.

While the afternoon still offers a bit of sun and heat, along the quays people talk mostly about the weather, and Bona dedicates a lot of time to studying the forecasts and discussing them with his team.

“Go along with the sea, not against it; avoid the fight, flow within the disturbance and find solutions to avoid banging the bow on the wave”, commented Sidney Gavignet, who is part of Alberto’s team and who today took stock of the situation: “Some sailors will choose to stop, probably in the port of Roscoff, which is a safe landing before the Bay of Biscay. In my opinion, the most complex point for those who keep navigating, thus going towards the disturbance, will be the passage opposite the island of Ouessant, in front of Brest: currents, waves and an almost obligatory passage to avoid shallows and blocked canals will make it very difficult and interesting, almost a test of fire before reaching the South”.

“We still have to work on the weather models”, concluded Bona, “and, like all the approach to this race, it’s important to acquire information, think, draw the right conclusions. We proceed as planned, day after day”.