On a beat… for at least 48 hours

Though the exit from the English Channel was completed at a furious pace downwind, life aboard the boats has altered somewhat since the fleet rounded the north-west tip of Brittany with further changes still from early this morning. In fact, after linking onto a reach yesterday afternoon, the competitors in the 14th Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre are now on a beat that’s set to last at least 48 hours. As such, the ballet of tack changes has only just begun. With regards to Giancarlo Pedote and Anthony Marchand they launched into their first manœuvre at 06:00 hours UTC this morning in a bid to locate the best possible trajectory for making southing. Though this strategic choice is shared by the bulk of the fleet, some skippers are attempting to get some northerly separation, as is the case for Alex Thomson and Neal McDonald. However, it’ll be another two or three days, when the wind is set to shift round to the West, before we can see if the latter proves to be a beneficial option. Indeed, the duos will have to contend with headwinds until at least Thursday, even though the weather remains very uncertain. Within this context, there’s likely much cogitation aboard Prysmian Group, even if these few days of beating in manageable conditions will enable the Italo-French duo to properly recharge their batteries.