It’s really difficult to even imagine the complexity of this Transat CIC following it only through the race tracker. Indeed, in recent days this regatta allowed the crews to follow an overall linear route, for which reason this edition of the Transat could be misinterpreted and considered simple.
What the tracker does not show, however, is the complexity of the situation, that so far has seen the skippers going in and out of lows, the last of which is truly substantial and persistent. For us, 40 knots of wind is just a number on a map, but for Alberto Bona aboard the Class40 IBSA it’s an on-going vibration, a fall from 4 meter waves while running, a continuous fixing of even the slightest damage, resisting tiredness as well as, in recent days, the terrible cold coming down from the North.
Inside a fleet halved by withdrawals, from Friday to today – on the eighth day of navigation – Alberto found his rhythm: with just over 800 miles to go, the Class40 IBSA consolidated her fifth position and is emerging from the depression. What awaits the boat and her skipper over the next few hours is a sort of abrupt slowing down, an opportunity to take a breath and pause the pure survival mode, trying to gain miles on the opponents ahead of them, but above all to find navigable conditions again.
“I had never sailed in similar conditions”, commented our skipper. “I’m taking care of the boat and the boat is taking care of me. This latest depression was really challenging, and required a lot of energy”. Meanwhile, the arrival of the first IMOCA is expected in the evening, while for the Class40s it will still take around three days of navigation to reach New York, but in more tolerable conditions. Everyone will have to cross an area of light wind due to the influence of the Gulf Stream and then aim for the finish line, approximately between Thursday and Friday.
