After having to contend with light and variable winds and Moroccan customs officials in the Mediterranean, Mirabaud sailed through her first low-pressure system yesterday, before setting course for the south. Dominique and Michèle are still holding onto third place but with the rest of the pack hot on their heels.
“Since last night, we’ve been in a real period of transition,” comments Dominique. “The wind has gone from south-west to west and is now mainly from the north-west, but sometimes from all over the place! We have to constantly change and trim the sails and as a result the lack of sleep we’ve experiences since the start hasn’t got any better.”
The yachts are currently heading south. Yesterday Mirabaud passed Madeira to starboard, whereas the two leaders Virbac Paprec and Foncia just managed to pass to the west of the island, avoiding the leeward side.
A huge zone of high-pressure systems off the west coast of Africa is making conditions very variable and is considerably slowing the fleet down. “Yesterday we were soaked and shaken about all over the place,” explains Michèle. “You get used to the uncomfortable conditions after a while, but we’re obviously delighted to be back in the sun, sailing in gentler conditions. The autopilot is working well and we’re using it around 50% of the time. We’re trying to save a little energy now and keep our eyes on the ball as we have the majority of the fleet behind us waiting to pounce. We need to stay lucid and be able to jump into action and make the right decisions when the need arises.
The north-east trade winds should establish themselves soon and carry the fleet down to the next hurdle: The Doldrums. “We don’t have our game plan for crossing The Doldrums in place yet but we’re constantly monitoring the situation,” confirms Dominique.
