With 40 duo crews and 20 solo crews, a total of 100 sailors set off from Cap-Martinique on Sunday April 14, 2024. The competitors have already covered almost 500 nautical miles of the 3,800 that separate them from Fort-de-France in Martinique. While their progress has been marked by exceptional conditions, some have had to deal with problems forcing them to make a technical stopover and retire.
First few miles off to a flying start
For François Séruzier, race director, the first 48 hours of the Cap-Martinique took place "under exceptional conditions".
Setting out from La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany to Martinique, this transatlantic race requires participants to round Porto Santo, an island in Madeira, in order to find more favorable conditions in the southern Atlantic.
The first part of the race, complex because of the Bay of Biscay and Cape Finisterre to the north-east of Spain, benefited from mild conditions this year 2024, favoring rapid progress by the competitors.
On April 16, 2024, most of the fleet reached Cape Finisterre, following the acceleration of the winds due to the peak effect. Usually coming from the South-West, which would be contrary to the racing direction of the boats, the winds this time blew from the North-East, offering fairly strong downwind conditions all the way to Porto for the competitors. The fleet tended to spread out, with 100 nautical miles separating the frontrunners from the rear.
In solo sailing, Jean-François Hamon on the Sun Fast 3 300 Festa for Aster took the lead off Porto. His speed was 11.1 knots. Solenn for Pure Ocean, sailed by Ludovic Gérard on a JPK 1080, came in second with a speed of 9.2 knots. Régis Vian, aboard a JPK 1010 for CMG-EJ pour Ecole Jules Verne, is in 3rd place, making 9.4 knots.
In the double-handed class, the crew of Amaury Dumortier and Geoffrey Thiriez on a Figaro 2 for Terre d'Enfants on the Atlantic maintained a speed of 11.9 knots, putting them in the lead in this category. In second place, Noël Racine and Ludovic Senechal aboard a JPK 1030 for Foggy Dew for Fop France recorded a speed of 10.3 knots. Miguel Antao and Patrice Carpentier on a Figaro 2 for Dessine-Moi la High Tech maintained a speed of 9.7 knots. The distances separating the leading boats are tight at this early stage of the race.
Two technical stopovers
In the middle of the day on April 16, 2024, as they approached Cape Finisterre, Laurent Charmy and Pierrick Letouzé, then in 35th position, reported a rudder problem on board SL Energies France Renouvelables to the race directors. The boat will now stop over in La Coruña, Spain, to diagnose and repair the problem. Bertrand Fourmond on Alpha Yesss Elec Eau, meanwhile, has encountered an autopilot problem which has forced the skipper to also make a brief stopover in La Coruña to identify and resolve the fault. All 3 skippers are in good health and have not requested assistance.
Alexandre Ozon retires from the race
Solo, Alexandre Ozon aboard the Bepox 990 for Trophée Estuaire Rose Team2choc had rounded Cape Finisterre on April 16, 2024. He was making headway at a speed of 12.1 knots in strong but manageable conditions when he suffered damage to his masthead off the Spanish coast of La Coruña. It was with great regret that the skipper, who had won the previous edition, decided to return to the port of Porto in Portugal and announce his withdrawal from the race: '' In 2022 Trophée Estuaire Rose won the 1st edition of the Cap Martinique . This year, I fought hard to be on the start line and make it... I wasn't under too much pressure, as I was starting totally on the fly... I got off to a pretty good start with some well thought-out trajectories, and then headed down Cape Finisterre in more than challenging conditions... I'm taking it easy, but fast nonetheless. I even spent 2 hours under spinnaker jib... Then a small reefed spinnaker and a reefed mainsail when the wind was 25/27 knots, with bursts at 32 knots. So she was quite manageable, even though the sea was very rough. And then CRAC boom Uuuuu. The masthead stem broke. I found myself with the jib completely loose and the mast flying forward, but held in place by the shrouds. In short, it's all over for me and Lili. Unfortunately, we won't be going to Martinique. The only problem is getting the mast on your face... So a huge disappointment, given the commitment and time spent on a mechanical fault... Team2choc is aiming for Porto, and that's quite a record... Find a repair shop and bring the boat home... Pffffff
I was looking forward to celebrating Team2Choc's 20th anniversary in 15 days' time...
However, I still had this question on my mind... Yes, Team2Choc is capable of competing with the new hulls, which are being driven hard. ''
As far as Lisbon and the island of Porto Santo, weather conditions continue to be favorable for the other competitors, with winds of 10 to 15 knots, mainly downwind. Some skippers are opting for full throttle, while others prefer a more moderate approach in terms of boat power. The second half of the race will benefit from fairly constant trade winds, pushing the boats towards the warm waters of the Caribbean.
