Accompanied by marine animals, Alexia and the 26 other competitors continue their races in the Indian Ocean. A rather calm day compared to the previous ones.
Far off the coast of Madagascar and South Africa, the back of the fleet battles in areas of weak and irregular winds. A depression that must absolutely be managed to stay in touch with this small group still composed of seven IMOCAs. With about ten days behind the front of the race, there’s no room to take any risks or push the boat too hard for fear of being punished by Mother Nature!
Watch out for icebergs in these quite cold weather conditions, near the ice zone. “Fortunately, the night doesn’t last long because it’s cold (12°C during the day and barely a few degrees at night). I took out my sleeping bag for very low temperatures, at -10°C. It may be a bit exaggerated, but in any case, for sleeping, it’s necessary. I don’t have heating on board, so I need to find ways to warm up effectively,” Alexia noted during a report.
With winds not expected to exceed 30 knots today, the Maralpine remains very focused on maintaining good speed while preserving her 22-year-old boat. Yesterday, TSE-4myplanete sailed at a good pace (an average of 9.5 knots with a peak at 13 knots), covering a little over 420 km for the day.
Alexia Barrier still has 31,670 km to go to reach the port of Les Sables d’Olonne.
