News from aboard.

Charlie Dalin, Apivia
“We have a front behind us and sometimes it moves forward and other times it doesn’t, so conditions are fluky. At times we’re under the influence of the front and other times we have less breeze. For the end of the race, certain scenarios are predicting gybes as the wind is turning a lot. There may be some moves to be played, it remains to be seen! The approach on the finish line is not easy. I’ve tried to position myself in relation to the rotation of the wind, but this hasn’t really paid off. The group has entered a new system in front of me so it hasn’t made much of a difference. The level of fatigue has accumulated a fair bit over the past ten days of racing, which have been very intense throughout, with close-contact sailing the whole time. We’re on a tack where we can’t leave the boat to sail herself. I still have some energy. I’m tired but clear-headed. My physical strength has certainly faded since the start, but I don’t feel as if I’m struggling to haul on my sails or complete some other manœuvre. We should finish in around 12 hours.”
 
Thomas Ruyant , LinkedOut
“On the attack! I’m in good shape and the adrenalin will keep me awake till the end. I’m certainly not having a siesta. I’ve eaten well and I slept well last night. I’m obviously tired from the racing but I have a clear head for the coming hours. The zones with little wind are not my favourite conditions or the boat’s. However, on the faster points of sail, I feel very much at ease and I have good control. I’m trying to make the most of it. It’s a bit like the last tack we had up to the Iceland mark. I know my boat’s quick in these conditions, but you have to constantly be on top of things. The race has been intense and will remain so right the way to the finish, with a lot to do and a lot to play for. I’ve learnt a great deal and it’s not over, but safe to say that the intensity of this competition is crazy!”
 
Yannick Bestaven, Maître CoQ IV
“It’s windy and it’s been a bit complicated for me over the past few hours of the race, because the new boats with bigger foils are absolutely smoking. I’m trying to hang on in there as best I can, but it’s hard. There’s a bit of fatigue. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I had a bit too much sail up and I’ve made some sail changes. You’re pretty on edge so you don’t get a lot of sleep. I’m happy though as my boat is operational. The whole team has done a great job, I’ve had no serious technical issues, I can push the boat and it’s great to do this race to see where the limits are in solo configuration and take confidence from that.”
 
Miranda Merron, Campagne de France
“Yesterday evening, I had an issue putting in a reef and I spent a fair amount of time at the end of the boom over the water, which wasn’t very pleasant! The boat’s OK. I have a few odd jobs to do, but nothing massive. I set sail on the race without being very well prepared to do a race! Before I set off, we were still doing quite a lot of work on the boat. As such, it’s been essential to sail this course. It’s an excellent way to prepare for the Vendée Globe. Furthermore, if there had been another one in a few weeks’ time, it would have been great.”
 
Fabrice Amedeo, Newrest- Arts &Fenêtres
“Hello everyone! It’s wet and noisy aboard Newrest – Art & Fenêtres! It was a completely Dantean night at high speed. A foretaste of the Southern Ocean, albeit without the  heavy seas and cold, but really great! It was a tough passage around the Gallimard waypoint. I was really knackered and in the red, and I was beginning to hallucinate. I could hear the cries of seagulls around me. The wind has kicked back in now and I’ve switched over to the J2. I was on the attack the whole night, but I was able to sleep so I’m in great shape for the home straight. I’m very happy to be at sea, on the leading edge of the front on flat seas at 23-24 knots in the accelerations… That’s about where I’m at!”