Panerai Transat Classique 2012
After the nail-biting crossing of the Bay of Biscay in light winds, the fleet is now entering the second half of the race as it rounds Cape Finisterre. The run along the Portuguese coast looks set to be a tactical affair and an essential stage in the race for victory in real and, more importantly, corrected times.
Already halfway through the race! Seventy-two hours after the magnificent start of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012 from Douarnenez, the leaders of the pack have arrived at Cape Finisterre, the north-west tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The crews threw themselves wholeheartedly into negotiating a complicated crossing of the Bay of Biscay in gentle winds. In such light conditions, staying focused is the name of the game and even the slightest loss of concentration can cost dearly. In the lead from the start, Emeraude has not made a single mistake, despite the big yawl Amazon briefly overtaking her in the Raz de Sein to claim the Capbiotek Trophy of the first leg. But since then, the Italian yacht, a beautiful German Frers design, has dominated proceedings and managed to establish a 60 mile lead.
The main pack in her wake comprises five yachts all determined to maintain the pressure on the leader. They will also be keeping a weather eye on their corrected times which take into account numerous factors including the length of the boat, its sail area and age. This means we won’t know who has won until all the competitors have crossed the finishing line. Persephone, a superb Tina built in 1969, is showing herself to be a formidable opponent thanks to a strong crew including the ocean racing specialist Pierre Follenfant who, according to the messages received from the vessel, is also a very good cook! Good food is essential for keeping the crew in high spirits: “We’ve had a relaxed outlook from the start, enjoying a drink and eating well thanks to Pierre’s excellent eggs and bacon and other delicious fare.” But the race is never far from their minds: “The main subject has been the Corunna stretch and the run down to Cascais. The weather has been playing hide and seek, and any dead zone will undoubtedly have a profound effect on results.”
Almost sailing in view of each other are Amazon, champing at the bit as she waits for some livelier conditions to give full expression to her potential for speed; Valteam, another magnificent yawl which sailed across from the States last year via the North Atlantic and whose crew seems to be getting better and better; Gweneven, a sporty sloop under the guiding hand of a tenacious skipper/owner who is only just discovering the world of yacht racing; and Vagabundo II, another German Frers design and built in 1945, long before any of her current crew members were born! Behind the pretenders, another group is desperately trying to reduce the 100 mile gap that separates them from the leader. Led by Mowgli, the only competitor to have taken part in the previous Transat Classique, the stragglers struggled to extricate themselves from the calms while their opponents at the front of the fleet enjoyed fresher breezes. Neck and neck, Red Hackle and Pen Duick II have been on fighting form. Laetitia II suffered a brief loss of concentration and has since been working hard to stave off the efforts of Cipango, her Taillefer sistership, and Marie des Isles who crossed over from the West Indies to take part in the race.
To make the most of the run down the Spanish and Portuguese coast, the contestants would probably find more wind if they sailed further west, away from the shore. The Italian crew on Emeraude made the decision early, and this has almost guaranteed them victory in real time. Her most serious contenders are having trouble following in her wake, stuck as they are in a windless zone. Persephone would have loved to have seen Emeraude floundering there with them. Those at the rear of the fleet are enjoying better conditions as the wind picks up. They are aware of the current situation of the front runners and will undoubtedly do their utmost to find wind elsewhere. The crews know that everything is left to play for and that every second will count when the corrected times are calculated. If things continue as they are, the finishing line should crossed some time on Friday. The countdown clock is ticking.
