The weather was capricious last night in the area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, more commonly known as the Doldrums. The sailors at the back of the race learned this the hard way.
The 15th day of the race will be noteworthy for the second half of the pack. The weather conditions were particularly challenging with heavy tropical rains and above all, an almost non-existent wind. The result was a good shower and an average speed of only six knots for Alexia Barrier, who continues her back-and-forth with Clément Giraud started the day before. “You can’t see anything! Fortunately, I can read the wind direction and my course with the instruments. You could say it’s chaos,” commented Alexia as she faced a second intense squall.
But after two weeks spent in the salt, what better than a good fresh water shower finally? All joking aside, these conditions are often difficult for skippers, especially when the winds are very light. “Last night was sleepless to try to move forward in less than five knots. This led to a nice encounter with a large tribe of dragonflies that took shelter on my IMOCA.” Sometimes, a small thing can brighten a day!
Another good news is that the wind is expected to return this afternoon for TSE-4myplanet with hopefully somewhat milder conditions. This could be the chance to pick up speed to reach the equator, a symbolic passage for any self-respecting sailor.
Meanwhile, there are 39,900 kilometers left for Alexia Barrier to complete her first round-the-world sailing voyage.
