Le Cléac’h is stopped in Brasil for repairs, the leading duel rages on as they aim for a first low pressure ride.

Since the middle of last week, the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest fleet may have dispersed significantly, but the leading duo Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue) and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) are still less than 50 miles apart, making around 34-35.5kts, sailing SSE of Salvador de Bahia, Brasil and starting to slant on to a favourable angle – east of south – charging towards the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope which they should pass Friday.

About 430 nautical miles behind Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) is working round the Saint Helena high alone now that his pacing partner Armel Le Cléac’h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) has been stopped in Recife since this morning.

Le Cléac’h should leave again tomorrow, expected to time his departure from the Brasilian port at the required 24 hours minimum stipulated by the rules for a skipper who accepts help for a pitstop. Meantime in fifth Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim 3) passed the Equator at 10:57:43hrs UTC this morning while Éric Péron (ULTIM ADAGIO) has finally passed Cape Verde and found strong winds.

Armel Le Cléac’h’s repairs have started

The Maxi Banque Populaire XI arrived in the port of Recife in Recife just before 0740hrs UTC. A team from Banque Populaire was waiting for her so that they could begin repairs as soon as the boat was docked. The team had communicated during Sunday evening that Le Cléac’h would stop, and he is the first competitor on the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest to do so.

His team were unanimous the skipper should not go into the ‘big south’ with no pulpit on the main hull of the white and blue ULTIM. His big gennaker flew off at the tack and tore off the pulpit during Wednesday night’s gales.

“Continuing the race without the pulpit which keeps me safe during manoeuvres would be impossible,” Le Cléac’h said. Maxi Banque Populaire XI also has an issue with the hydraulics on the starboard foil which would not go right down and the team were standing by to repair.

“We will be back to sea tomorrow morning,” reiterated the skipper. ” So many things can still happen, the race is far from over.”

According to the SIs which stipulate the minimum of 24 hours, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI will not be able to leave before 07:38 a.m. UTC tomorrow morning.

Laperche-Caudrelier, still a really close duel after eight days of racing

Their duel is impressive and it is exciting, as it is for the skippers. Tom Laperche (SRV-Lazartigue) and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) are only separated by around 45 miles at the head of the fleet. “Being so close forces to keep the rhythm up, it is quite exhilarating and fascinating,” Laperche said this morning. “It is very intense and it pushes us really hard, but it’s a good fight,”

“There may be a slight slowdown in the evening but otherwise, the conditions are ideal,” enthuses Guillaume Rottee, the race director. “They are both looking to have a good timing to hook into a depression, probably from Wednesday, which will take them at least to the Kerguelens.”

That low promises downwind conditions, the winds averaging 25 to 35 knots which will take them to the first of the three Great Capes, Good Hope, probably on Friday.

“The depression that will boost them east does take them up against the ZEA (Antarctic Exclusion Zone), warns Race Director Rottee. “It will force them to do a lot of manoeuvres, it will be very intense.”

More than 400 miles behind Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) is now third. Having been racing side by side with Armel Le Cléac’h for a long time, Coville is is now on his own as he transits the western side of the Saint Helena anticyclone. But what is concerning for the eight times round the world circumnavigator Coville is that he won’t make it on to the same depression as the first two. “The door will close, the anticyclone will expand again, which will not be easy,” specifies Rottee.

Anthony Marchand has just crossed the Equator

Anthony Marchand is the fifth skipper on this ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest to pass the Equator. The skipper of Actual Ultim 3 crossed it at 1057hrs UTC after 7 days, 22 hours and 27 minutes at sea, or 1 day, 16 hours and 14 minutes after Tom Laperche. This weekend marchand had a more complicated battle with the doldrums where he had slightly less wind than expected. “It was a little slower and harder than for the leaders who didn’t stop,” explains Rottee. But from now on Marchand is heading towards the Brazilian coast.

“He probably won’t get past Recife before Armel comes back out but it’s always better for morale to have a boat close to you,” adds the race director.

Éric Péron finds some energy

Éric Péron is more than 1,800 miles from the race lead had to be patient to manoeuvre between the Cape Verde cetacean exclusion zone and a light wind area which had slowed his progress.. That is behind him and this morning, the skipper of ULTIM ADAGIO gybed onto starboard to head west and head down to the Doldrums.

Follow the race tracking on www.arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

by Arkea Ultim Challenge