After breaking her hydrogenerator, which is under repair, the news is not very encouraging aboard TSE-4myplanet. The Indian Ocean certainly isn’t giving any gifts this time.
The atmosphere on the IMOCA of the Nice resident has become tense after discovering a tear in an old spinnaker (used for downwind sailing) yesterday morning. This is quite a setback since the damage does not seem repairable. The hole is reportedly about one square meter. Therefore, we’ll have to manage without that sail. “I wanted to hoist the sail, which isn’t exactly new and was used during the last front. As I unfurled it, I saw there was a big window in it, meaning it’s falling apart. So, I stowed it away and am using the J2, waiting for the wind to shift so I can jibe.”
If the wind seems to have “already” returned, Alexia will resume her descent towards the ice zone to regain speed as quickly as possible without putting too much strain on the boat, which is starting to show signs of weakness after 44 days at sea. This seems logical when no one in this race appears to be spared from troubles.
Despite this setback that needs to be swiftly dealt with, Alexia Barrier has maintained a good average compared to her fellow competitors, who also found themselves in an area of weak winds. In the end, less than 100 miles separate Alexia from Miranda in the rankings, and the passionate sailor from the Maralpine region seems determined to take action in the coming days to try and make the difference.
She still has 26,700 km to sail to complete her first solo round-the-world trip, and a little over 1,800 km to exit the much-feared Indian Ocean. A nice Christmas gift in prospect?
