The duo Armel Le Cléac’h-Sébastien Josse retained control of the Ultim category ranking but their lead melted like snow in the sun off the coast of Brazil during the night from Sunday to Monday. At ten o’clock Monday morning, the leaders only had a lead of 44.3 miles (after having counted more than 100 on Sunday) over SVR Lazartigue of the François Gabart-Tom Laperche tandem, himself followed very closely by Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, 3.8 miles behind. “We still have work ahead of us, there are about eight days of racing. We have done half, for the moment everything is going well but nothing is done,” said Armel Le Cléac’h on Sunday.
All boats in the Ultim category have now moved to the southern hemisphere and are currently heading towards Ascension Island. While the halfway point has been passed, victory seems for the moment promised to one of the three leading duos, who have not left the podium since entering the Atlantic.
Fourth, Sodebo in the hands of Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel is struggling to catch up (163.8 miles from the leader) while Actual brings up the rear in the ranking. Anthony Marchant and Thierry Chabagny clock in at 210.7 miles.
The Ultims will soon no longer be the only ones to have set sail since the departure of two other categories, which have remained at the port of Lorient for several days while waiting for the storms to pass, is scheduled for this Monday, at 10:30 a.m. for the Ocean Fifty and at 10:45 a.m. for the Class 40s. The Imocas, remaining in Le Havre, will wait until Tuesday to set off at 9:30 a.m.