Francis Joyon is heading for Ireland aboard a cargo ship following his Route du Rhum capsize, while Charles Caudrelier has suffered major foil damage aboard Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. Race leader Tom Laperche has covered an extraordinary 775 nautical miles in 24 hours.
Ireland is preparing for the arrival of two Route du Rhum sailors under very different circumstances, as the solo transatlantic race continues at a blistering pace towards Guadeloupe.
Veteran French skipper Francis Joyon is safe aboard the cargo ship Maersk Columbus after capsizing his ORMA 60 trimaran Océans on Monday afternoon. Joyon, competing in the Vintage Multi division, was rescued at approximately 2300hrs on Monday and is heading towards Ireland, where he is expected to be brought ashore in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Anthony Marchand, sailing Actual Ultim 4, is expected to arrive in Irish waters on Tuesday afternoon after damaging his central rudder in a collision with an unidentified object. The impact caused a critical jam in his steering system. Once in sheltered waters, his team will assess repairs before deciding whether he can resume racing.
Caudrelier Suffers Major Foil Damage
Another significant setback emerged early on Tuesday when Charles Caudrelier reported serious damage to the port-side foil of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the new Gitana 18.
Foiling Power: The giant foils of Gitana 18 illustrate the high-performance technology at the centre of Charles Caudrelier's Route du Rhum setback, following damage to the trimaran's port-side foil. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut / polaRYSE / Gitana SA.
The incident occurred shortly before 0500hrs while Caudrelier was sailing downwind approximately 400 nautical miles north of the Azores in northerly winds of 20–25 knots and three-metre seas. Fourth in the Ultim fleet at the time, he is safe and working with his shore team to secure the damaged foil and assess his options.
Laperche Covers 775 Miles in 24 Hours
At the front of the Ultim fleet, Tom Laperche aboard SVR-Lazartigue has covered 775 nautical miles in 24 hours while racing solo. He is approaching the Azores and is expected to pass approximately 100 miles east of Corvo.
The other leading Ultims have maintained exceptionally high speeds despite a weather transition overnight, when boats briefly slowed from around 35 to 25 knots. Armel Le Cléac'h, aboard Maxi Banque Populaire XI, described sailing downwind at 30–35 knots in a chaotic sea state.
Outright speed may soon give way to tactical decisions. A developing low-pressure system near the Azores presents two broad options: a series of gybes in the north-northeasterly airflow or a route across a high-pressure ridge to reach stronger winds further west.
Ocean Fifty Fleet Records 43.1 Knots
Basile Bourgnon, aboard Edenred, reported a peak of 43.1 knots between Sunday night and Monday morning. “To give those on land an idea, it feels like driving over gravel. It’s moving so fast that everything vibrates,” he said.
The Ocean Fifty and IMOCA fleets now face the same frontal transition encountered by the Ultims, including a wind shift approaching 180 degrees.
Horeau Leads IMOCA Fleet
In the IMOCA division, Corentin Horeau aboard MACSF has taken the lead, sailing the boat that finished second in the Vendée Globe. Italy's Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande MAPEI) is second but has been dealing with a stern water leak and a broken stove.
Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) is third, approximately 20 miles behind, having positioned himself further north in anticipation of the next weather transition. Germany's Boris Herrmann (Malizia 4) has moved into sixth, while Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) is seventh.
Class40 Fleet Splits Over Atlantic Strategy
The Class40 fleet has developed a lateral spread of more than 260 miles as skippers choose different routes towards the Azores. Pierre Leboucher (Imagine Institute) leads, with Luca Rosetti (Macaferri Futura) second and Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran – Seafrigo) close behind.
Pirouelle has selected a middle route, aiming to pass north of the Azores, but says the developing weather system remains difficult to predict. Meanwhile, Marco Guerra (Imagin'Act-Socomec) has reached Port-la-Forêt for a technical stop after encountering keel problems, a leak and electronic failures.
Ireland's Pamela Lee is also racing in the 49-boat Class40 division aboard EmpowHer.
Vintage Fleet Faces Its Own Challenges
In the Rhum Mono division, Sidney Gavignet, sailing Le Cigare Rouge, survived a difficult night after his autopilot failed while carrying a spinnaker in 25–30 knots of wind. The boat veered off course, forcing him to take the helm, activate the backup system and drop the sail. During the incident, he fell through an open cockpit hatch, suffering bruised ribs.
“My boat isn't one that likes to be pushed hard. That was the mistake I made last night,” he acknowledged.
As Gavignet observed during Tuesday morning's radio call: “The line between 'everything is going well' and 'everything is falling apart' is a very thin one.”
