Route du Rhum

From Team Gitana-first vid of the damage-most of the bow on the stb side is gone! GitanaTeam on Twitter https://twitter.com/GitanaTeam/status/1059496460423708672/video/1

From the air--hard to see: GitanaTeam on Twitter https://twitter.com/GitanaTeam/status/1059494942333194240/photo/1

More from Team Gitana: The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild expected into La Coruña between 20 and 22:00 GMT - Gitana : Offshore racing stable created by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild http://www.gitana-team.com/en/a-1295/the-maxi-edmond-de-rothschild-expected-into-la-corua-between-20

 

Sebastien and the boat are in La Coruna: GitanaTeam on Twitter https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1059558390324695042

 

Gabart and Joyon are first and second-LeCleach has fallen further back for the first time since his stop. Macif and Idec are both doing about 22 knots-Banque Pop is doing about 13--trouble?

 

Terrible video and misfortune, Gitana had proven to be the fastest before that fatal damage, hope they'll be able to diagnose exactly what happened.

From the last carto, Banque Pop had tacked to West (285°), as are doing the leaders of the Imoca class. To tack on an Ultim takes a lot of time, so the average speed on 30 mn can fall. And also, to remind that the sea is already 4 to 5 m before the storm, that should dictates the maxi possible speed. Macif and Idec continue South, also the leaders of the Multi 50 (remarkable lead of Arkema / Lalou Roucairol).
Cartography | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/cartography

 

The winds for tuesday, thanks to Ventusky, I put the "wind gusts" option to show what can happened :
Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=45.3;-23.8;3&l=gust&t=20181106/15

 

It will be interesting to see how Armel le Cleach and his close to Westerly track works out. Nice to see Lalou Roucayrol doing so well on Arkema it's a well prepared boat and that shows when they get into the rough stuff.

 

Class 40 / Sam Goodchild, who was 3rd, dismasted in 30 knots and strong seas. He is safe and the boat is secured.
Sam Goodchild Dismasted | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/news/495
The new carto here below :
Ultim : Macif has just tacked and now heading 280°, Banque Pop will be in 35 knots wind within 3h.
Multi 50 : the leader Arkema / Lalou Roucairol has reported 55 knots wind with gusts at 65 , and waves 5 m, he decided to shelter few hours in Porto.
Route du rhum 2018 : le skipper girondin Lalou Roucayrol part s'abriter à Porto https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/voile/route-du-rhum-2018-le-skipper-girondin-lalou-roucayrol-part-s-abriter-a-porto-1541487521
Imoca : Hugo Boss again on a N-W tack, the other leaders continue on S-W .
Class 40 : Yoann Richomme still leader, the fleet should/will suffer a lot in the next hours. Some without win ambition and just wanted to finish the race, have choosen to stop in Brittany (3 are at Camaret near Brest).
Rhum Multi : Loick Peyron on Happy (Sister-ship of the 1978 winner) is heading Spain / Gijón.
Cartography | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/cartography

 

Imoca Monin / Isabelle Joschke has dismasted this night :
https://www.ouest-france.fr/route-du-rhum/route-du-rhum-dematage-pour-isabelle-joschke-6053529

 

From Seb Josse by phone, on Gitana float break :
"It happened after the passage of the front. There was between 24 to 31 knots of wind, I sailed at true wind angle 105 ° with a reef in the mainsail, in a rather flying mode at a steady speed.
And then the boat went down, the float touched the water and it bent brutally. I was thrown forward in the boat. The braking was very abrupt and as there was no acceleration to follow, I realized that something had happened. I was under the roof cap and I did not have time to ease the mainsail. Waves was 3.5 m height, and with the routing cell one wondered how to navigate in such sea state. The conditions were comfortable enough, the navigation was very controlled and without risk. Although it was the first time that I was sailing beam reaching in winds like that, but when we feel that it slips, that it is not jerky, it is that it goes.
The float was torn out of one piece, there is 3 m in front of the aka. I think I did not hit anything, but when you touch the water at almost 80 km/h (43 Knots), the surface of the water becomes solid so it's hard to know if it's the sound of something solid that we hit."
Ref : https://www.ouest-france.fr/route-d...se-le-flotteur-s-est-plie-brutalement-6053036

 

The new carto, Banque Pop not localized ? By hoping it is just a beacon problem, she should be now in the 35+ winds. Macif and Idec are tacking, seems it is to stay within the 20 Knots wind zone waiting NW beam wind within about 9h.
Cartography | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/cartography

 

Seb Josse audio in French: ITV Sébastien Josse à son arrivée à La Corogne https://soundcloud.com/user-259157431-250820740/itv-sebastien-josse-a-son-arrivee-a-la-corogne
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More from Seb Josse in english: Seb Josse tells us more about damage aboard | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/news/515

 

Bad news, Banque pop just capsized, due to port float break in 30/35 knots Wind and 5m sea state. Armel is safe inside the boat, and could communicate with his team.
Info in french : "Le Maxi Banque Populaire IX a chaviré aux alentours de 12 h alors qu’il naviguait à 340 milles dans le nord-est des Açores. Les conditions de vent étaient de 30/35 nœuds avec 5 mètres de mer. Le bateau semble avoir chaviré suite à la rupture de son flotteur bâbord. Armel Le Cléac’h a pu déclencher sa balise de détresse et communiquer avec son team technique à terre. Le CROSS Gris Nez a pris en charge l’organisation des secours, en coordination avec la Direction de Course et le Team Banque Populaire. Le skipper est sain et sauf en sécurité à l’intérieur du bateau.
https://www.ouest-france.fr/route-d...sitions-et-cartographie-en-temps-reel-6048852

 

Noooooo!

Feel sad for them. They are dying like X-wings out There in Star wars...

 

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Can't believe it!!!!! Hope Armel stays safe.....

The story in english: Armel Le Cléac’h capsizes but is reported safe | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/news/527

 

The Ventusky forecasts for tomorrow, map with gusts of winds and map with significant wave heights, >>> boats on the North route, like Hugo Boss typically, will face the highest waves Hs 6 m and over.
wind gusts : Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=45.3;-23.8;3&l=gust&t=20181107/15
waves : Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=45.3;-23.8;3&l=wave&t=20181107/15
The new carto, Macif and Idec still tacking in the 20 knots zone, to note that the fastest boat in term of VMG towards the finish line since 2 hours is Hugo Boss, not Macif.
Cartography | Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe https://www.routedurhum.com/en/cartography