Complex situation for Alberto Bona and the Class40 IBSA – actually, also for the boats that, last Friday, formed the leading group of the Transat Québec Saint-Malo. Indeed, at the end of the seventh day, those who were in the lead found themselves in the rear, as a result of a choice – that is, a clean-cut “North option” – made between Friday 5 and Saturday 6 among the Newfoundland banks; a choice made to find the wind well above the great circle route, in search of conditions that could push the fleet towards the finish while running downwind.
This was not the case, so much so that – in light of the separation of the fleet into two groups – those who went South benefited from their choice, finding more wind and a decidedly better route, with average speeds almost double those of their “northern” peers.
Translated into miles and ranking, the Class40 IBSA, together with the other two Italian crews and a group of “big names”, is over 200 miles behind, which extends the duration of the regatta by at least two days compared to the expected timing.
It was the weather that misled the “northerners”: at the time of their choice, in fact, they had planned to go around a high pressure zone, which however then changed its direction, leaving everyone high and dry. For this reason, on the morning of Monday, July 8, the North option was abandoned and the route corrected. Now Alberto and the Class40 IBSA are trying to correct their course and close in on their opponents, even if they are far ahead.
But if in football, as is well known, the match is not over until the referee whistles, in sailing the regatta continues until Saint-Malo, and whoever is behind can only be ready to exploit every possible gust and take advantage of any weather anomaly. Two extra days take a toll on supplies, concentration and endurance… but this is sailing!
