“It was possible to give the start on Sunday, but the fleet would have quickly found itself in a very strong sea state with gusts of wind reaching 100 km/h and 6 to 7 meters of hollow. We know that there would be damaged and potentially more serious,” race director Francis Le Goff told AFP.
The announcement was made in the morning after a weather briefing given to the 138 sailors involved in the race, which has taken place every four years since 1978 and whose start had never been postponed.
“It’s the right decision. When you’re a sailor and you know that the conditions ahead are tough, you have to know how to be reasonable and stay in port,” he said. The departure of the fleet is now scheduled “Tuesday or Wednesday” off the corsair city.
– Sheltering –
On the pontoons, concern had started to rise in the middle of the week among committed sailors, amateurs and professionals. The expected squalls and chaotic seas predicted the worst for the most fragile boat categories.
During a press briefing on Friday, the organizers had suggested that these boats take shelter in the surrounding ports, while waiting for a lull. But given the record number of starters for this 12th edition, it was impossible to guarantee a place for everyone in the emergency.
“The fastest boats might have been able to avoid the gale by heading for Ireland, but not all of them. And there wouldn’t necessarily have been the possibility for 138 boats to find refuge,” said explained to AFP François Gabart (SVR-Lazartigue).
On Saturday, most of the sailors questioned were relieved, including the favourites, who were nevertheless better able to face bad weather at the helm of ultra-modern boats, such as the giant Ultim trimarans.
“The weather conditions are exceptional, so it’s a wise decision,” reacted Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire). “It’s good. We knew we were going to war, but it’s our Olympic Games, so we would have gone anyway (…) and it could be dangerous”, said Charles Caudrelier ( Maxi Edmond De Rothschild).
– ‘The fight will be beautiful’ –
According to the meteorologist Jean-Yves Bernot, a great specialist in offshore racing, “the small boats were not too much of a match” in the conditions announced. No choice of trajectory in the direction of Guadeloupe made it possible “to avoid the gale”.
“There was no way to escape. The only solution was to stop in Brittany and hide,” he said, adding that “Tuesday or Wednesday will be less dangerous”.
As a result of this postponement, Emmanuel Macron, who was to attend the start on the water on Sunday, will go earlier to the 27th UN climate conference (COP27) in Egypt.
The village of the event, which has welcomed several hundred thousand visitors since its opening on October 25, should probably close its doors on Sunday at the end of the day.
Race management has not yet communicated the exact date and time of a restart, but promises that “the fight will be good” when the cannon finally sounds.
