Transat Café l’Or: Francesca Clapcich’s tactical stroke in the Canary Islands
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Day of major moves at the Transat Café l’Or this sixth, with the Class 40s still stationary in La Coruna (restarting Nov. 1), but the Imoca 60s engaged in the strategically important Canary Islands junction.
The main news of the day is the leadership by Francesca Clapcich, who with 11th Hour Racing drew a more westerly trajectory on approach to the Canaries and then managed to tack ahead of the leading group and take the lead.
Imoca 60 class, Francesca’s overtaking
Francesca Clapcich’s attack on the lead with 11th Hour Racing takes place in perhaps the least congenial phase for her Imoca 60, that of light wind in crossing the anticyclone. Clapcich’s boat was in fact designed more for the stern in strong winds, so the blow was clearly strategic, sailing further west in an area with a few more knots of wind.
Already the turns to leave the Canaries to starboard have begun, and it is noticeable how 11th Hour Racing has already turned in control of the fleet, with about a 10-mile lead.
Ambrogio Beccaria with Allagrande Mapei occupies the third provisional position, at a close distance with Charal and Macif. A small stop today for the Milanese, the Race Direction had in fact given Allagrande a 30-minute penalty due to the loss of a raft at sea while crossing the English Channel. Beccaria and Ruyant then stopped the boat for 30 minutes against the wind, restarting at the end of the penalty. Little road lost all things considered, given the choice to run it in a time of very light wind such as this.
The Canary Islands passage, the entire archipelago must be left to the right, is now about 50 miles away, but wind conditions will remain extremely light. Only farther south of the archipelago will the fleet encounter a slightly more consistent trade wind, at which point there will be a choice of how far and whether to go south to meet a steadier flow, but traveling much farther.
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