Sébastien Simon proves a grasp at enjoying the shifts out and in of the Doldrums

Earlier immediately, Guyot environnement-Staff Europe, whose crew additionally contains the German Olympic sailor Robert Stanjek, (skipper for this leg), his fellow countryman Phillip Kasüske and French sailor Anne-Claire Le Berre, had been the primary to cross the Equator because the boats picked up pace within the northerly fringes of the southeast commerce winds.

The black boat was cruising alongside at round 13 knots of boatspeed and with a bonus over Biotherm, skippered by Paul Meilhat, of 35 nautical miles. Staff Holcim-PRB skippered by Kevin Escoffier, was one other 15 miles again, with pre-race favourites eleventh Hour Racing Staff in fourth place, 65 miles behind

Guyot environnement-Staff Europe. The backmarker within the west, stays Staff Malizia skippered by Will Harris, which has caught up rather a lot in the course of the strategy to the Doldrums, however was nonetheless 105 miles off the main tempo.

Considerably, Guyot environnement-Staff Europe additionally sailed the shortest course to get to the southern hemisphere  a complete of 1,269 miles, which was six miles lower than Biotherm, 135 miles lower than Staff Holcim-PRB, 144 miles lower than Mãlama, and 231 lower than Staff Malizia .

On the primary evening we discovered ourselves on the incorrect facet of the sport, so the opposite boats additional to the east stretched out and made some early positive factors with extra strain, mentioned Stanjek. However we stored affected person we stored crusing and stored going after which we sailed with the A2 on some very good downwind angles.

Stanjek says Simon was wonderful at working the boat by way of variable circumstances, when it comes to wind angles and strain, as Guyot environnement-Staff Europe caught up the misplaced floor. He was very affected person with oscillating persistent shifts, he defined. Ready for the breeze to fill in clearly we had like 5 – 6 gybes and made good positive factors, making contact with the fleet once more. Then his determination was to place us somewhat bit easterly, within the competitors, and we had been essentially the most easterly boat.

To begin with, Simon was nervous they’d picked the incorrect lane, because the boats to the west, led by Meilhats group on Biotherm, led the best way within the gentle and variable winds of the Doldrums. However then Guyots place began to pay-off. Stanjek says the crew managed to sail an environment friendly course to the south, in comparison with their rivals additional west.

One thing I’m very happy with, is the best way the entire group made a really exact job in crusing a straight line south, he mentioned. When you have a look at the tracker, the opposite boats strains are far more nervous than ours, with a few gybes and adapting angles. We had been actually making an attempt onerous to speculate very metre in shifting ahead to get to the south, and I believe that is most likely one of many secrets and techniques about why we’ve now discovered ourselves within the lead.

Our boat is eight years older and it’s a little bit heavier, so we’re simply crusing a unique boat and we’ve to sail it the easiest way we will, he mentioned. So clearly it’s nonetheless a troublesome race and there are nonetheless troublesome changes to search out the correct trim, and to make the nice selections on techniques and routing. You already know, these boats are so advanced and it’s a must to sail them nicely to be good ultimately, so I dont need to get this an excessive amount of in my head.

The German sailor from Berlin says the factor he’s lacking most is contact along with his household his spouse and kids however, apart from that, he’s loving each minute of The Ocean Race and his first crossing of the Equator. I’m very a lot having fun with this journey right here, he mentioned. For me, it’s the first time crusing south, crossing the Equator, first time within the commerce winds and the Doldrums all very thrilling. I’m studying rather a lot, actually studying rather a lot. Regardless that I’m super-keen racer, I’m coming from Olympic crusing, so mainly I’ve by no means loved the journey of crusing a lot as I do proper now.

They’re somewhat bit completely different from one another, however I take pleasure in crusing with each of them, he mentioned. It takes a while to grasp the way to work collectively, the communication, and it additionally takes a while to grasp when you’ll be able to ask sure issues, when they’re most likely too careworn and the easiest way to speak. So it’s a little bit completely different. Sébastien is far more rational Ben is extra emotionally pushed, however they each do job and really with this leg, I’m very joyful. We made some errors, however we additionally made plenty of very, very, good selections. So, in the intervening time, we’re within the lead so, yeah, Sébastien is enjoying an excellent recreation.

Stanjek reminded us there may be nonetheless a protracted option to go on this hot-weather leg to Cape City, sufficient time for the early leaders Biotherm, Holcim-PRB and eleventh Hour Racing Staff to reassert themselves on the prime of the leaderboard, whereas the crew on Staff Malizia, continues its efforts to catch up.