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Krys Ocean Race MOD70s close on the Scilly Isles

The Krys Ocean Race leaders are now closing on the Scilly Isles turning mark before the final 115 or so mile run across the Channel, through the Chenal du Four to the finish line at Brest. 

Chart above courtesy of Expedition/Tasman Bay Navigation Systems and GRIB (European model) from PredictWind

Positions at 0530 UTC

Over the last 24 hours second and third placed Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Foncia have made gains on leader the Yann Guichard-skippered Spindrift Racing. During this period Spindrift Racing went undercover, into ‘ghost mode’ even though they haven't made any change in course.

Spindrift Racing's Pascal Bidégorry seemed confident that their crew have enough in hand in an improving forecast to cross first at the Petit Minou finish line this afternoon. But the finish of this first Krys Ocean Race will be closer than it was anticipated yesterday.

At present Spindrift Racing has outrun the leading edge of the front which has propelled them at high speeds all the way across the Atlantic. According to Bidégorry, they are racing in 12 knots, the lightest wind since leaving New York on Sunday: "Once we round the Scilly Isles, we should pick up the southwest breeze that will come in stronger and be more stable for the approach to Ushant. Now we are just ahead of the low and had to get over a small ridge, which means the others have managed to catch up on us. For now we should be pretty much on a direct route from now on though.”

Before disappearing into ghost mode yesterday Spindrift racing had 69.2 miles of a lead over the second placed Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, at the latest sched this had been cut to just 27.1 miles.

The three lead MOD70s passed the longitude of Fastnet Rock, off the southwesterern tip of Ireland in the small hours of the this morning - sailing on roughly the same track - where Spindrift Racing held a lead of 1 hour and 25 min ahead of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, with Foncia only 30 minutes behind them.

Bidegorry continues: “I look at the weather too with Yann as well as being at the helm, this is still a boat and we have to sail it! Sometimes you are at the helm on a one and a half hour watch and the last fifteen minutes can be really tough. It is not easy keeping your eyes open with the bucket loads of water constantly spaying in your face. My eyes are knackered!

"It is really nice to get the feeling of the old 60 footers, I think we had all forgotten just how wet it is on board and that we live en up living like dogs on board, there are not comforts. Now we are a bit drier, we all had to get changed after two days because it started to smell. It was like a mouldy smell, not just from the foul weather kit but also from the boat itself. Not very nice!

"We should get to the finish this afternoon, hard to put a time on it because it is not until we get passed the Scilly Isles that we will know for sure, but anytime from 2pm onwards to say four in the afternoon. There should be a wind rotation and then there are a few rocks to deal with too…"