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This Wednesday, the IMOCA fleet competing in the 14th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre is scattered across the North Atlantic in every direction. As a result, the different duos are no longer contending with the same scenarios in terms of weather. Indeed, for the group favouring the West, which includes Giancarlo Pedote and Anthony Marchand, the sea conditions are gradually becoming tougher in the area surrounding the new low pressure system, whilst the wind is set to fill in little by little from tonight before reaching 25-30 knots tomorrow. This should be enough to enable them to make up the deficit in miles which they’ve amassed over the past 12 hours. For the duo on Prysmian Group, like all those who have gambled on the West, in addition to extending the route they were posting speeds 2 to 3 knots slower than their playmates weaving their way along the Portuguese coast last night. As such, they’re lamenting a deficit of around 100 miles on the new leader PRB, which has pulled a neat move to steal a march on the rest of the fleet. However this latter group, which is sure to be benefiting from rather pleasant conditions on flat seas this morning, will soon have to deal with a zone of high pressure sprawled out across Gibraltar. The upshot of this will be light, shifty winds, both in terms of strength and direction off Cape Saint Vincent. Essentially, this is the opposite of what the Italo-French pairing and the eight other duos who have opted for the opposing route will have to contend with, and our duo will certainly be counting on taking advantage of their option within the next 36 hours.