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An 18-mile lead nearly erased
Achille Nebout, who has been leading the Class40 fleet for seven days, ( Amarris ) seemed to have secured victory as he approached the northern coast of Guadeloupe. At Tête à l'Anglais, he still held an 18-mile lead over Guillaume Pirouelle ( Sogestran-Seafrigo ). But passing downwind of Basse-Terre completely changed the situation.
On Sunday, November 15, mid-morning, the gap between the two skippers was down to just 0.3 nautical miles, according to the organizers. Pierre Leboucher ( Imagine Institute ), in third place, was also still in a position to capitalize on any slowdown by the leading boats. After thirteen and a half days at sea, the race is now coming down to the final few miles.
Guadeloupe's trade winds are reshuffling the standings
The topography of Basse-Terre disrupts the trade winds and creates areas of light or irregular wind. For the Class40s, circumnavigating the island therefore requires constant assessment of the water conditions, with courses that can vary greatly in order to find gusts.
Achille Nebout was affected by these conditions, losing most of his lead. Guillaume Pirouelle was able to close the gap, while Pierre Leboucher still has a chance to join the duel if the leaders continue to be slowed down. In this final stretch, average speed on the Atlantic matters less than the ability to maintain momentum in light winds and take advantage of every shift.
An arrival expected in the next few hours
The first Class40 boats are expected to arrive in Pointe-à-Pitre on Sunday, November 15, with the race expected to conclude around noon or early afternoon Paris time. The outcome remains uncertain at the time of this press release.
Behind the leaders, the battle for the top spots continues. Luca Rosetti ( Maccaferri Futura ) is aiming, in particular, to move up in the rankings, while Sophie Faguet ( Solidarity Challenge?with Ellye and L'Arche ), a twelfth-grader, has to deal with digestive problems that make eating and moving around difficult.
The rounding of Guadeloupe thus highlights a distinctive feature of the Route du Rhum: the final leg of the race can undo several days of the lead built up on the open ocean. For Nebout and Pirouelle, the challenge now is to turn their position into a strong finish at the finish line.
