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Alexia Barrier finishes the Ultim race
Alexia Barrier crossed the finish line of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe on Wednesday, November 11, shortly after 8:40 p.m., aboard IDEC Sport - CIC .
Her arrival marks the end of the competition for all the Ultim boats, which are now all in Pointe-à-Pitre. The sailor has thus completed her crossing aboard her giant trimaran, while the other categories continue their race across the Atlantic.
In the Ocean Fifty class, Anne-Claire Le Berre ( UpWind by MerConcept ) also arrived in Guadeloupe on Thursday morning, taking seventh place.
In IMOCA, the podium is taking shape
Following Corentin Horeau's victory ( MACSF ), Boris Herrmann ( Malizia 4 ) took second place, and Élodie Bonafous ( Petits Princes Association - Quéguiner ) is expected to round out the top three.
The rounding of Guadeloupe, however, remains a tricky stretch that could shift the gaps in the final few miles. Sam Goodchild remains in the shadows in his stern.
Behind him, Sébastien Simon ( Dubreuil Group - Air Caraïbes ) features the return of Davy Beaudart ( Vallée Office ). By taking a route further south, he moved up two places and cut his deficit to just ten miles. The battle for fifth place therefore remains tight.
Class40 boats trapped in the Azores High
The top seven Class40s are sailing in a tight group spread over about 50 miles. Achille Nebout ( Amarris ) remains in the lead, but the weather is making it difficult to make progress.
Competitors are navigating alternating periods of calm, squalls, and sudden shifts in wind direction. Gusts can reach twenty knots, even though weather forecasts sometimes predict nearly windless conditions.
Guillaume Pirouelle ( Sogestran - Seafrigo ) and Robin Follin ( Solano ) describe a challenging sail, with frequent sail changes. Follin also has to repair his gennaker, which has been damaged several times by the spreaders.
Damage and margins remain tight
Mathieu Claveau ( Inherent - Headlight 40 ) discovered a crack about 40 centimeters long in its forward bulkhead after a violent impact with a wave. It abandoned its plan to head north in favor of a more southerly course so it could take advantage of calm periods to make repairs.
In the Rhum Multi class, Éric Péron ( French Touch - Oceania Hotels ) has regained wind after spending 48 hours in very light conditions. Despite several technical issues, particularly with his autopilot, he is currently in second place behind Damien Seguin.
Trade winds are expected to reach Guadeloupe
The gradual strengthening of the Azores High should allow the Class40s to encounter more consistent winds once they exit the high-pressure zone.
Achille Nebout still estimates that it will take about four days to cover the 700 miles separating him from the finish line.
But with seven boats clustered within 50 miles of each other and conditions that remain unpredictable, the standings could still change significantly before Pointe-à-Pitre.
