The seven teams in The Ocean Race Europe face a rough and uncomfortable downwind ride up the eastern coast of Corsica towards the finish of Leg 4 from Nice to Genoa, but there could be a big re-shuffle in light winds before the finish.

That’s according to Vendée Globe winner Charlie Dalin of France who told the IMOCA Class in an interview today that, with the fleet now on its way through the Strait of Bonifacio, the next section of Leg 4 will feature full-on downwind conditions in a strong southerly airstream driven by the Genoa low pressure system. 

Dalin says this could suit the two Antoine Koch/Finot Conq-designed sisterships, Paprec Arkéa, skippered by Yoann Richomme of France and Allagrande MAPEI Racing skippered by Ambrogio Beccaria of Italy. They are in third and fourth positions respectively, chasing leg leader Holcim-PRB skippered by Frenchman Nico Lunven, who is just ahead of overall race leader and fellow countryman Paul Meilhat and his team on Biotherm.

“It’s going to be a pretty rough ride on the way downwind, for sure,” said Dalin, who is currently taking a break from sailing to manage ongoing health issues. “It should be a pretty fast, bumpy and uncomfy run on the way down Corsica.”

The final stages of the leg feature a big loop from close to the Italian coast at Alassio – Waypoint Gallerina – back out to sea on a east-southeasterly heading, before the final turn – at Waypoint Livorno – north to Genoa. This is where Dalin feels everything might get shaken up and give the chasing boats a chance to get into the mix. But this phase might also offer another opportunity for race leader Meilhat and his crew to work their way through a transition ahead of their rivals.

© ANNE BEAUGE 33684713372 (ANNE BEAUGE 33684713372 (Photographer) - [None]

“Everything might shuffle again in the last chicane,”said Dalin. “Because they are going to have to cross the front of the Genoa low pressure and probably into some light winds. So once again, you might see a versatile boat taking advantage, but it depends on what happens on the way north.”

Dalin has been impressed with the way Meilhat and his crew – on this leg consisting of Sam Goodchild, Amélie Grassi and Benjamin Ferré – have sailed in this race which they have dominated from the start. He says The Ocean Race Europe suits the Guillaume Verdier-designed Biotherm perfectly.

“What we know about this boat is that it is a pretty versatile one compared to some others in the fleet and The Ocean Race Europe is a race with mixed conditions, you can get anything – like upwind or downwind. So every leg has been variable and having a versatile boat does help for sure,” said Dalin. 

“The other boat that has the same qualities in this respect is Holcim-PRB, but obviously the collision they had at the beginning of the race never puts you in the right mood to do well. But it looks like they are starting to recover from it now,” he added.

Dalin says Meilhat has been on a roll and has got into the winning habit, evidenced by the fact that he now leads the overall ranking by 12 points from Holcim-PRB, having won every leg and collected two points at each of the four Bonus Scoring gates. 

“Paul started well and when you win one or two legs you sort of get into this spiral of success and confidence,” said Dalin. “You’re in a good mindset to make the right calls and to take the right tactical and strategic decisions.”

Dalin also made the point that in this race, when boats are sailing from point-to-point in each leg, with few options for navigators and in fully-crewed configuration, the key variable is boatspeed. “The raw speed of the boat is more important than say in a single-handed race,”Dalin explained. “Because in a single handed race you need a fast boat as well, but you need to prepare yourself for what is coming up which is not the case sailing fully-crewed, when you always have the right sail on.”

Although Meilhat and his team have dominated the race, Dalin says it is not over yet. And the final leg to Montenegro from Genoa could be a fascinating one regardless of the overall standings. He reckons it will be particularly difficult, with tired sailors having to deal with thermal effects along the Italian coast and then a challenging final section to the finish at Boka Bay. 

“It’s going to be very tricky for navigators and there is a good chance of a northwesterly breeze on the way to Montenegro, so skippers will have to decide whether to stay along the Italian coast or cross over towards Albania – that might be an important decision to make,”said Dalin.

Having taken part in the last Ocean Race on board winning boat 11th Hour Racing, Dalin knows how demanding these fully-crewed races with short and busy stopovers are. “It’s pretty tough,” he said. “And the crews are obviously getting tired, so you need the right amount of rotation to renew your crew, but you don’t want to lose your team core and your team spirit at the same time, so you have to find the right equilibrium. It’s not an easy event to manage in this respect.”

But he feels Meilhat is now in a very strong position. “They are on a roll for sure. And the points show that. When you’ve got a good lead on the scoreboard, you can see things differently. You don’t have to take risks as much as the others and you are in a pretty comfy seat regarding how you manage the race,” he said.

 

Ed Gorman