Nico and Cali: A Race Within the Race
This Tuesday morning, Arnaud Boissières rounded the iconic Fastnet Rock lighthouse in turn, just a few hours after Nico d’Estais. Around one hundred nautical miles separate the two sailors, but both remain equally determined to keep pushing until the very end. Yesterday, their duel played out off Ireland’s west coast in an area that proved particularly difficult to negotiate. The Café Joyeux skipper chose to stay committed to his route close to the shoreline, even if that meant waiting for the new breeze to arrive. “I had the choice between heading almost 90 degrees away from my course to reach the new wind or continuing more directly towards the finish and waiting for it to come to me. I chose the second option.” A decision that allowed him to maintain his advantage, although it came at a physical cost. “Rounding Ireland gave me a lot of trouble. I ended up completely exhausted. For a day and a half, I hardly slept at all.” The APRIL Marine skipper opted for the opposite approach. “I moved slightly further west to position myself for the south-westerly wind shift. On paper, it looked like an opportunity to get back into the game.” Both strategies had their logic. The gaps, however, changed very little. Now a new chapter is beginning. With around 12 knots of breeze and a relatively flat sea, both sailors can finally catch their breath after several particularly demanding days. “The boat is gliding along nicely and there’s no need to push too hard to maintain good speed. After the past few days, that almost feels like a luxury,” smiled Nico d’Estais. But beneath the apparent simplicity, the battle is far from over. “Once we pass the tip of Brittany, thermal effects and positioning relative to the coastline could become very important.” Arnaud Boissières, meanwhile, remains firmly focused on his rival. “My objective is simple: try to catch Nico and keep the pressure on him all the way to the finish. Anything can still happen.” After witnessing the dramatic turnaround among the race leaders, it is difficult to argue otherwise.
