A duel of giants
The duel was announced right from the start: two great sailors - Sébastien Josse and Thomas Coville - and two incredible Ultimates - the Maxi Edmond de Rotschild and Sodeb Ultim'. Technology for one and knowledge for the other. Discovery for one and pugnacity for the other... But the same desire, to win this 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre.
Sébastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel left Le Havre on 5 November 2017 and "logically" took the lead of the fleet. The Maxi Edmond de Rotschild is a latest-generation Ultime, capable of flying and brand new. Her skipper didn't take command of her until 17th July, but is still in the process of discovering his boat. The duo are leading the fleet until Wednesday 8th, before leaving first place to Sodebo.
The trimaran is admittedly a little older than Edmond de Rothschild, but it's in the hands of Thomas Coville, who knows it by heart and who has just won the solo round the world record. He is accompanied by Jean-Luc Nélias, who has routed him on several occasions. And since Thursday 9th November at around 0030 hours, Sodebo Ultim' has been leading the way.
A 45 mile lead for Sodebo Ultim'
Expected in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, at dawn on Monday 13 November (in the morning on French time), the two Ultimate teams have little distance between them and play it close together. In the rankings at 1500 hours this Sunday 12th November, Thomas Coville and Jean-Luc Nélias have a 40 mile lead, or around 2 hours over their pursuers.
And this duel that has been going on for several days now is being played at very fast speeds. After an express descent of the English Channel and the North Atlantic followed by a single tack westward crossing without any braking, the final hours of racing look like being strategic and tense.
Thierry Briend, one of the two men in the routing cell following Sodebo Ultim' from land confirms this morning that nothing is decided yet, even though as a match race specialist he is delighted with the configuration of this final. " Sodebo Ultim' has been out front for several days. Our strategy is not going to change just a few hours from the finish. Thomas and Jean-Luc will continue to do what they have to do, in other words, move the boat forward. Both of them are perfectly aware of the possibilities of Sodebo Ultim'. They know how to find the best angles and the right settings to go fast while being in phase with the wind and the opponent. The finish is going to be all but impossible, especially as the wind will ease off in front of Bahia, allowing whoever is behind to come back."
Edmond de Rothschild's braking on the brakes
"Since their little edge of shifting south of the Azores, they have rolled their gennaker, but what problem they really have on board, we don't know. We can only see that we've got them in a hurry..." jean-Luc Nélias confided this morning. Clearly, Sébastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel are in archimedean mode. For several days now, their Maxi has been unable to create a speed delta by rising above the water.
A tight finish
The end of the race tonight and tomorrow morning along the Brazilian coast may still reveal some surprises. We know that the wind is lighter there, conditions in which Sodebo Ultim is not at ease. There's no shortage of fishermen or nets on the way and Richard Silvani from Météo France is predicting thundery squalls generated by a nascent low over Uruguay..." Control, it works if you have the same boat, the same speed. Now we don't know what they're doing and they have our position every hour with the cartoon. So anything is possible!" jean-Luc Nélias analysed.
