Day 10 - the battle for the podium is underway

This morning the distance-to-go figure to Fort-de-France, Martinique on the onboard computer will fall below 1,000 nautical miles with the forecast suggesting good wind all the way to the finish of the Transat Café L’OR. Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris are still in third place in this transatlantic classic.

However, this morning they are also locked in a tight battle for second position – still going fast downwind – with early leaders Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar on MACIF Santé Prévoyance. On the 0700 UTC tracker update, 11th Hour Racing is now just eight miles behind MACIF in terms of distance-to-the-finish, having reduced the deficit by 19 miles in the last 24 hours. 

The two boats are gybing in sequence with Francesca and Will 84 miles behind leader Charal skippered by Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière who – at this stage – look locked in for the win.

Meanwhile, the gap from 11th Hour Racing to fourth-placed Allagrande MAPEI has widened from 47 miles to 53 during the last day. 

Onboard 11th Hour Racing there was an issue with a headsail furler fitting on Tuesday that lost Francesca and Will a few miles, but otherwise it is still pedal-to-the-metal with the boat in excellent condition, a testament to the hard work undertaken by the shore crew before departure and its crew's boat management over the last 10 days.

In his morning update from onboard, Will says the sea state – with a rolling swell – is still a problem: “It’s been making it very hard to keep the boat going fast all the time. You have to either be adjusting, trimming or trying to steer it along the way. It’s quite full-on – we’re definitely not just sitting back.”

The wind forecast suggests the current range from 15-20 knots will increase to 18-23 all the way to Martinique, although the last few miles to the line on the western side of the island can be very tricky in the wind shadow of the land.

In the meantime, it’s all about consistent speed. “It’s really a boatspeed race to the finish,” said Will. “You know, there are small little gains to be made if you do a nice gybe or if you manage to get a good angle. But really, it’s obvious that Charal has been the fastest and that’s why they are ahead.

“So it’s all about who can be faster that will decide the podium, I think,” he added. “So keep pushing for now and see what we can do.”

Ed Gorman