WOW Cap Istanbul / From Hyéres to Ragussa… (Video)

The distance the WOW Cap Istanbul fleet will cover from Hyéres to Ragussa in south of Sicily is 600 nautical miles. Considering the weather conditions on the course, the fleet is expected to travel this distance in 3 to 5 days. The initial predictions suggest that the first leg will most probably be the toughest.

Jacques Vapillon / WOW Cap Istanbul 

Skippers will fearlessly grab every opportunity and make as many attacks as possible in the first leg of WOW Cap Istanbul. It seems it will be the endurance of the solo racers that will be put to the test while they struggle their way through the volatile weather conditions for 600 nautical miles.

We already know light winds can be just as dangerous as strong winds. The sailors who wish to avoid these dangers and break away from the fleet early on in the race need to keep a coolheaded approach at all times.

In the open waters offshore Sardinia and Corsica, the wind is expected to die down. Hence the sailors must plan to make the most of the medium wind conditions at the start and get ahead as much as they can. The distance covered between the start and the light wind area will be effective in determining the ranking of the first leg. The sailors to make good attacks at the start will be in favourable positions.

The pressures rise...
Past the southwest tip of Sardinia on the way to Sicily, the second part of the first leg will begin. After the 300 mile mark, signs of fatigue will slowly surface. The racers will have to take short naps to recharge their energy during the race. This is the part of the course where critical points can be won or lost. Hours before the start, the pressures on the sailors are reaching their peak.

Comments of the skippers...
Eric Drouglazet (Luisina) 2008 first leg winner
"We will have light breeze at the start. Then some wind to sail away from Cote d'Azur shores. At Corsica however, light rain is expected. Similarly light wind is predicted from the south of Sardinia to Sicily. This a very difficult situation. Even if you were leading the race, there is no guarantee of keeping that position for long. My guess is, the light wind will create significant gaps between racers at the finish of the first leg."

François Gabart (Macif) Currently leading the 2010 French Open Sea Solo Championship
"This is the Mediterranean. We have some idea of wind direction til monday. But after that things get more complicated. The first night at the Mediterranean will be sweet. We will have a chance to see the bright sky if we have some sun as well as the wind. There is risk of cruising too close between Sardinia and Sicily. We really have to take care of our sleeping schedule. We shouldn't lose any unnecessary energy early on. So, even though the first night seems like fun we should not neglect resting.”

From WOW Cap Istanbul