Transition areas, small slacks, maneuvers, wind rotations, close hauled, fog... On the 3rd day of race, the Transat du Centenaire still shows its level of requirement on its journey from East to West with of traps and pitfalls as the boats follow the landing’s footsteps of June 1917.
Macif Vs IDEC SPORT
On the third day of racing, the progression of the Queen Mary 2, still on a constant speed on its way to New York, hides the intensity of the naval battle unfolding in his royal wake. Since the kick off, the battle between the 5 men crew of Macif (François Gabart) and IDEC SPORT (Francis Joyon), continues to get tough as the boats are getting closer to the cold latitudes and of the inhospitable banks of Newfoundland.
Behind, Thomas Coville and his crew, whose delay stayed at 70 miles, is not giving up at all. The crew, currently in 3rd position, remains ready to seize any on the 2025 miles left before the arrival in the Bay of New York, under the Verrazzano bridge. In 4th position Actual (Yves Le Blevec) does not sulk his pleasure of competing in this historic race, which offers the only mixed team a unique opportunity to race on special.
The Gulf Stream Vs Labrador current
The prestigious ship has covered more than 500 miles, resonating her foghorn in the early morning, and has unveiled to the sailors this morning what is expected for the next 24 hours. Welcome to fog land, this oceanic and ghostly universe dominated by heat shock generated by the frontal encounter between the cold waters of the Labrador current and much more lenient waters of the Gulf Stream. 'It's a really particular area. You have to imagine that it is as if we had water at 2° in Brest and 25° in Vigo. Within 300 miles, there is an incredible differential, unimaginable in the rest of the world', says Dominic Vittet, the onboard weather consultant of THE BRIDGE.
Ice Zone Vs the anticyclone
Nothing is disrupting the race, the four duettists of the transatlantic ocean liner will spend the night 175 miles North at the top of the wreck of the Titanic unfolded. According to them, they must deal with a set of constraints which makes it not easier. ' Boats will enter the fog tonight or tomorrow. " They're heading towards the Azores anticyclone, which has greatly reduced its margin of evolution. The conditions are not very favorable for speed. "Macif, IDEC SPORT and Sodebo Ultim' are progressing in headwinds, while Actual is still in the Northwest, under a beautiful blue sky ', adds the race’s meteorologist.
According to the latest forecasts, the first Ultimate trimarans are expected on Monday (July 3) at 8: 00 a.m., local time, in New York. After leading a race at the top of the offshore sailing in complicated conditions against the prevailing winds, they will arrive facing queen Mary 2, 48 hours after her.