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As the leaders in the Barcelona World Race reach the halfway stage, it is a good time to carry out an appraisal of how this second edition has so far gone. The standard of those taking part, the way the boats are being sailed, how they are dealing with damage and the ice gates are among the features that stand out in this double-handed round the world voyage.

© Chris Cameron / DPPI / Barcelona World Race
Virbac-Paprec 3 arriving in Wellington

Let there be no mistake about it. The Barcelona World Race is not the Vendée Globe. The races aim to complement each other and any hasty comparison is bound to be over simplistic, as we draw up our initial appraisal. Three fundamental elements clearly separate the two races from the outset. One is raced double-handed and the other is a solo race. Then, there are the pit stops, which are allowed in the rules with a voyage through the Cook Strait in New Zealand creating a break that is much more than being a symbolic passage, as it quite simply changes the pace of the race. Three elements, which have important consequences, in terms of the behaviour of the competitors, as well as the management of the race itself.

The double-handed race
Gradually, couples get to know each other in the Barcelona World Race. Each crew finds its harmony, sharing out the tasks and responsibilities, with one crewman having more or less control over the other, and with the organisation on board being more or less flexible. Sailing double-handed requires everyone to make certain efforts in the way they live on board in order to show respect for their fellow crewman. On the other hand, it does allow the sailors to take advantage of more efficient rest periods – it is easier to sleep properly, when you know that your fellow crewman is keeping an eye on sailing the boat – and it also enables them to get the most out of the IMOCA 60s. So consequently, there is the temptation to push the boat to her limits. And this can mean that the risk of damage is that much greater.

This type of double-handed racing is particularly interesting as we have seen in the case of the Spanish talent that has been revealed, and we can hope that they will continue to take part in the IMOCA circuit and contribute to the further internationalisation of the class. With three Spanish crews in the top five, this is significant enough in terms of performance to merit reflection.

Breakages
For the moment, two boats have retired from the race after losing their masts. In both cases, it would appear that the dismasting was neither the direct consequence of a mistake when manoeuvring, nor due to having too much sail up. Sailing remains a mechanical sport and it sometimes happens that parts, which have been under strain, break. As proof of that, we can add that Foncia’s mast is identical to MAPFRE’s, and she is still doing very well in second place. As for Président’s, hers was very similar to the one on GAES Centros Auditivos. So overall, we have made gains in terms of reliability, even if losing two stand-out figures from the world of ocean racing like Michel Desjoyeaux and Jean Le Cam remains a terrible blow.

Pit stops
It would appear that double-handed racing pushes the crews to take the boats to their limits and beyond with as a consequence a lot of little problems, which when added together can lead the crews to opt for a pit stop. Foncia and Virbac-Paprec 3 in Recife, Central Lechera Asturiana in Cape Town, Virbac-Paprec 3 stopping again along with Groupe Bel in Wellington. That means we come to five planned stops out of a fleet of fourteen lining up at the start. The possibility of making a pit stop has become one of the key strategic plays in the race. Even if once they have passed the longitude of 140° east, all stopovers must last at least 48 hours, the competitors have to take into account a variety of factors including wear and tear to weigh up the time they will lose during the pit stop and the potential gains they can hope for later in the race. That is why it can be very tempting to go for a boat able to show off her full potential in the second half of the race around the world. Time will tell who was right: in any case, it is going to be fascinating to watch how Groupe Bel and Virbac-Paprec 3 perform in the stretch from Wellington to Barcelona.

In some way, we could go as far as to say that these stopovers are making the race that much more exciting again and they are bound to contribute to us seeing more competitors at the finish of this race, which nevertheless remains the toughest that exists.

The Ice Gates
Erring on the side of caution, the Barcelona World Race included several ice gates from the start, waypoints that keep the competitors in the Barcelona World Race away from icebergs and in particular, the growlers, which are often associated with them. An exceptional situation has seen the ice drifting further and further to the north, forcing the Race Directors to move the position of the gates further up. At the same time, the presence of high pressure areas at relatively southern latitudes has led to the situation where the fleet has had to deal with headwinds and relatively light conditions for a large part of the stretch between South Africa and Australia. This is a situation that has raised a lot of questions, as the sailors are used to surfing conditions in the southern ocean, and it has been a source of frustration, particularly as the weather options are very limited. The inclusion of Ice Gates also means that there is a major change in the way we think about these round the world races. What the race has lost in terms of excitement and adventure, has maybe been balanced by the thrilling close contact racing and of course by improvements to safety. This is a question that deserves to be examined more closely, but we are probably going to have to wait until the fleet has rounded the Horn before we draw any firm conclusions.

The race itself
After seeing Virbac-Paprec 3 run away with the lead, after their pit stop in Wellington, we are likely to see a duel developing. It is even quite possible that the crew of MAPFRE will grab the lead, as they tackle the voyage down through the Pacific towards Cape Horn. Estrella Damm is likely to be lying in wait, while further back Renault Z.E. and Groupe Bel may well be neck and neck. So far, the weather conditions have tended to favour the race leader. It would be quite remarkable if the Pacific enabled those that have been delayed to catch up, as they are now more than 4000 miles behind the leaders. However, we must not forget that there are still three weeks of racing left after they have rounded the Horn and as we have seen in previous round the world races, anything can happen during that phase.