Spindrift Racing continues to edge ahead

Krys Ocean Race leading MOD70 still making 29-30 knots across the North Atlantic

The MOD70s competing in the Krys Ocean Race continue to eat up the miles with leader Yann Guichard's Spindrift Racing having 750 miles to go to the Brest finish line.

Positions at 0630 UTC

So we were completely wrong about the MOD70s having to gybe yesterday. Instead the boats have continued on starboard gybe heading northeast in the brisk SSWerlies ahead of the front and at the latest sched the leaders have once again converged with the great circle between New York and Brest. The pace continues to be really impressive with the leaders continually making 29-30 knots, Spindrift Racing having covered 666 miles in the last 24 hours, Guichard and his crew somehow managing to maintain an average speed a knot faster than second placed Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

The weather looks set to pan out for the leaders making for a substantially faster crossing than the organisers may have hoped for. Between here and the finish the forecast indicates that they will continue to progress fast ahead of the warm and cold fronts currently associated with a complex trio of depressions in the Labrador Sea. By tonight a trough has developed along one of these fronts, and this will chase the boats into Brest. The wind is expected to veer from the SSW into the SW and this will allow the boats to turn their bows towards the finish line.

Guichard, sounding quietly content when contacted early this morning stated: “Last night was a bit calmer and that the sea was much flatter but the wind is going to build again. We re on a heading for the Scilly Isles, pretty much on a straight line and the wind should build over the next six hours, back up to average 30 knots. We expect to get to the Scilly by around midday tomorrow. Strategically there are not all that many options now, it is a matter of keeping up the rhythm and try to maintain the speed. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Foncia are going a little faster, but we are level in terms of speed. We make the most of the daylight to do a boat check and prepare for the strengthening conditions.

“Next is looking at all the weather files to see how things will evolve with the weather front that we have been on for the last few days on what will be a reach to Brest. We have had a bit of fog and drizzle, it is not quite Breton weather though!

“We keep an eye on the radar which really show up the squalls well and then now for the approach will be good for the maritime traffic. In terms of food, we have been stuck with the freeze dried stuff and apart from a few apples at the start have not enjoyed any fresh food.”

From the nav station of Musandam-Oman Sail this morning, Sidney Gavignet reported that they are back sailing at near normal speeds – using their starboard foil in the port box, but have a little less wind than the leading trio.