WEATHER: A CONSTANT DEMAND

Monday sees the sea and wind conditions start to improve. The skippers will finally be able to scrutinise their charts a little more and refine their trajectory in between the two depressions shadowing their route towards the IOC - UNESCO buoy. The first boats are expected to arrive at the buoy this Thursday. After passing the Fastnet this morning, the lead group seems to have ruled out the east Ireland option. This route may seem like the winning option at first glance, but as we look closer we can see that light winds are announced in the North as well as a small pocket in the East, making it less favorable for the fleet. The boats should therefore continue West for a few hours and take advantage of the west wind shift, allowing them to position themselves Southwest of the L2 depression. The second group may have a harder time catching and taking advantage of L2. They will, however, be able to take advantage of the next depression; L3. Propelling them north before resuming the route towards the West in its northern part. REFLECTION, ATTENTION, PRECISION... The situation may seem quite clear, yet it requires a lot of attention and responsive navigation from the skippers. As always, inherent costs are associated with one small error during a race like this. Each tack must be reflected upon and adjusted in the line with weather patterns that vary greatly from one to another. The first group are expected to reach the IOC-UNESCO waypoint on Thursday 9th July. Source IMOCA