Light winds: tactics rule. The fourth day of the Rolex Fastnet Race sees the Class40 IBSA at the entrance of the English Channel, after a course further south than expected, shared with many other crews, chosen in order to run as fast as possible.
Silence from aboard, concentration and commitment to make the boat run: taking out the “elephant in the room” – i.e. the two-hour penalty – at 11 this morning the Class40 IBSA was in second place in her category ranking. Now the Channel will once again hold some surprises: an average wind – probably lighter in the evening – could further reshuffle the cards, because the boats are very close, with seven of them in less than ten miles. At present, they are sailing at 8.3 knots and there are still 136 decisive miles to go, therefore with an arrival expected during nighttime for Alberto Bona, Andrea Caracci, Francesca Clapcich and Luca Bertacchi.
Meanwhile, in Cherbourg the party for the arrivals is on-going: yesterday at 8:30 pm the regatta ended for the monohulls too; the line honours and the class victory went to the IMOCA Macif of Charlie Dalin and Pascal Bidegorry, launched a few days before the start of the regatta, which – after a duel with Paprec Arkéa – showed the skill of the crew and the solidity of the hull in the first 24 terrible hours, adding the first star on its prize record and also establishing the course record for monohulls and Imocas, now set at 2 days, 7 hours, 20 minutes and 26 seconds. The first of the awards ceremony – dedicated to the Ultim, Imoca and Ocean Fifty classes – will take place today at 6 pm.
