The day was not very productive aboard TSE-4myplanet as the wind decided to calm down since yesterday. A blessing in disguise considering the various events that have marked these past few days.
For the past three days, Alexia Barrier has not been in great shape, with her back pain showing in her eyes. 2,000 miles from the finish, she fights to forget this physical issue that severely hinders her. Only one thing to do: grit her teeth and think about moving forward at her own pace to preserve herself as best as possible. Despite this, the skipper keeps her smile and morale, at least we want to believe it. It is difficult to imagine the situation aboard her IMOCA as it sails towards the Canary Islands. “I’m going to try to anticipate maneuvers by changing sails a bit earlier so I don’t end up having to exert myself.”
The day before yesterday, the Maralpine explained that the weather was cool. This is now reflected in the crossing of the Azores high with winds around seven kilometers per hour, and the least we can say is that the conditions have never been so relaxing. “The weather is reliable, I know very well what will happen in the coming days (…) and even if I don’t make progress for a few hours, it’s not very serious. But the weather is quite good until the arrival, I don’t think I’ll have any big storms, and that’s cool!”
Ultimately, a blessing in disguise especially as it is likely she won’t be glued to the sheets trying to glean an extra 0.1 knots of speed. But no matter: her goal is more than ever to finish her world tour in about ten days or more if necessary!
