Ireland’s Mini Transat entrant Tom Dolan has had to make some tough tactical decision in the 245-mile Stage 2 from Aviles in Spain back to les Sables d’Olonne in the Mini Transgascone 2017 writes W M Nixon. Although an anticipated veering in the northeast wind has been developing, it has been taking place later than forecast. But Dolan’s decision to hold well to the right – in which he was followed by close rival Pierre Chedeville – is now being rewarded, though for some time he has relinquished his early lead to Erwan le Daroalec, who with Clarrisse Cremer had elected to hold well to the left.
In terms of the usual pattern of Mini 650 racing, the four front runners are exceptially widely spread across a very broad front, considering they’ve only 65 miles still to sail to Les Sables. But currently the indications are that the Dolan/Chdevile gambit will eventually pay off, through whether it will do so well enough to offset the inbuilt advantage which Cremer and Le Draoulec carry after the flukey finish at Aviles – two hours and one hour respectively – remains to be seen.
In fact, with Dolan currently five miles further from les Sables than current leader Le Draoulec, it’s all in the lap of the Gods, but the Irishman is in a better breeze and sailing at 5.1 knots to thr 4.1 of Le Draoulec.
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