Gitana : écurie de course au large fondée par le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild

Monday 13 November 2023

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild 800 miles from the finish in Fort-de-France

The 2023 edition of the Coffee Route is nearing its end. Yesterday, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI was the first to take the chequered flag as it crossed the finish line in Fort-de-France Bay after 14 days and 10 hours of racing. SVR - Lazartigue followed suit five hours later to secure 2nd place after a fantastic duel. Armel Le Cléac’h and his team posted a very fine performance to succeed the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild on the list of winners of the event. Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël are now closing on the finish line themselves - 800 miles to go this Monday afternoon but aboard their injured’ maxi-trimaran the duo is still under threat from its pursuers in the quest for the final podium place. Finally clear of the doldrums, which proved much less cooperative for them that it was with their rivals, the men of Gitana Team have latched onto some fresh breeze and are busily honing their trim as they take turns at the helm. For now, their ETA is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday 14 November late in the day local time in Fort-de-France.

In a different weather system

Charles Caudrelier and Erwan Israël had to just grin and bear it yesterday to extract themselves from a zone of high pressure skirting the traffic exclusion zone along the north coast of Brazil. Usually less active in this section, the doldrums had swollen again ahead of the bows of the five-arrow maxi-trimaran, forcing the duo to put in a series of zigzagging gybes to remain in a corridor of breeze. In contrast, the timing of the top duo in the Transat Jacques Vabre enabled them to sail a virtually direct course some 1,500 miles before the finish. As such, both the weather pattern and the extra miles along the route go a long way to explaining the deficit they’ll have at the finish.

ETA, late in the day on Tuesday 14 November

Whilst the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was sailing downwind again this morning having finally hooked back up with the NE’ly trade wind, Erwan Israël took the time during his watch to send us a few images and congratulate the winners and the team in second place, who both made landfall last night: “Our little playmates Banque Populaire and SVR finished last night. Hats off to Armel and Sébastien. They were absolutely untouchable in this race. Congratulations to all the team as well. And bravo to Tom and François, who also sailed an extraordinary race. They didn’t manage to keep pace at the end, but it was a great duel in any case. As for us, we’ve just escaped the doldrums and we’re heading downwind towards Martinique. We’re pulling out all the stops to stay ahead of Sodebo. I think we must be about 200 miles ahead. I think we’re due to finish in around 36 hours’ time.”