With 300 miles to go to enter the Pacific Ocean, making between nine and 10 knots, Italy’s Alessandro di Benedetto, on his 1998 Finot Conq designed Team Plastique, has a fighting chance of passing in to the world’s most expansive ocean at its western entrance just before the two leaders depart in the east, at Cape Horn. Oceanic adventurer Di Benedetto passed the East Australia gate last night, just over 5000 miles behind race leader François Gabart who is back at the head of the Vendée Globe fleet.
The two leaders are racing with courses only 7 miles apart in modest 13-17kts NW’ly winds as they reach towards Cape Horn where it seems increasingly likely that it will be the more friendly, benign face of the feared mariners’ landmark that the 29 year old Vendée Globe first timer Gabart will encounter Tuesday evening. In third place Jean-Pierre Dick’s margin to the leaders remains relatively static as he keeps pace with them, some 318 miles behind.
The biggest distances sailed in the 24 hours up to 0500hrs UTC this morning were made by Bernard Stamm (440 miles) and Javier Sanso (425 Miles). Stamm has been cutting distance to Arnaud Boissières virtually since he rejoined the race course three days ago after his technical stop, and this morning was just 49 miles behind the Frenchman’s Akena Vérandas. Sanso, chasing down Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) is now at 100 miles behind and has averaged more than 3 knots quicker over the last 24 hours. The Spanish skipper from Palma, Majorca’s desire is to be back with Wave and Mike Golding (Gamesa) by Cape Horn. Golding was 300 miles from the Pacific West gate this morning.
Four hundred miles ahead of Golding Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel) has completeted that Pacific West Gate and enjoys relative isolation in a solid fifth place as he has Alex Thomson 1000 miles ahead on Hugo Boss. The British skipper has still 1530 miles to make to Cape Horn but will be delighted to finally complete a solo passage of the infamous point. As for the two leaders they are still more than two days ahead of the race record and might still break 80 days.
Con l’inizio delle regate domani si apre la stagione mediterranea dei superyacht. Il 20° Southern Wind Rendez-vous and Trophy è parte integrante dell’evento
Seconda giornata da incorniciare alla Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta di Porto Cervo, dove il Maestrale tra i 16 e i 18 nodi ha regalato condizioni ideali alla flotta impegnata in una regata costiera di 33 miglia attraverso l’Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Gli eventi di apertura: Gusta La Cinquecento venerdì e Sea La Cinquecento sabato
Introdotta la diretta streaming limitata a 7 skipper. Il Golden Globe Race mantiene comunque intatta la sua filosofia originale: navigazione astronomica, carte nautiche cartacee, cronometri meccanici e radio SSB restano gli unici strumenti consentiti
Finale spettacolare a Sorrento con vento sostenuto e classifiche decise soltanto nell’ultima prova
SailGP sbarca a New York: il Red Bull Italy Team cerca conferme nella Grande Mela
Jethou sale al comando nella Maxi Grand Prix dopo una giornata tattica nel Golfo di Napoli
Dopo la partenza i superyacht hanno veleggiato attraverso il passo delle Bisce, lasciato a destra la secca di Tre Monti per dirigersi verso i Monaci. Da qui sotto gennaker sono scesi verso sud doppiando Soffi, per concludere davanti a Porto Cervo
Vigilia di grande attesa tra Livorno e Marina di Pisa per la partenza della 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar, la regata d’altura che scatterà domani pomeriggio con 193 barche e circa 2000 velisti attesi sulla linea del via
Il simbolo perfetto di questo ribaltamento è Adrien Hardy, skipper di Sans Nature, pas de Futur! Fino a poche ore fa navigava nelle retrovie, addirittura 34°, ma una scelta tattica coraggiosa lo ha portato a risalire fino alla testa della classifica