Barcelona World Race / Misfortunes, mishaps and Mapfre making miles

The strong trade winds and high speeds south from the Canary islands have taken a toll on the Barcelona World Race fleet as Jean Le Cam and Bruno Dubois head for the Cape Verde islands this afternoon after losing the mast of their IMOCA Open 60 Président.

© J Vapillon / Président

After hitting some type of floating object which has damaged the crash box on the bow of Foncia which they noticed on Sunday, Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart confirmed this morning that they are preparing to make a technical stop in Brazil, probably in Recife to repair or replace the sacrificial section which served its purpose, preventing damage to the bow section.

Barcelona World Race / One track minds

The muscular trade winds are still providing constant high speeds for the leaders of the Barcelona World Race fleet with all of duos forced to think about nothing else but speed, spending hours on the helm to maximise gains and minimise losses in the thrilling sleigh ride towards the Doldrums.

© Neutrogena

And the pacemakers today acknowledged that they are looking forward to the respite that the narrow zone of lighter winds will provide, a respite break to recharge themselves and restore some measure of order to their IMOCA Open 60’s.

Barcelona World Race / A Gibraltar reprise from Jean-Pierre Dick?

In the first edition of the Barcelona World RACE back in November 2007 it was Jean-Pierre Dick who was first to Gibraltar, escaping from the Mediterranean on Paprec-Virbac 2 with co-skipper Damian Foxall after setting the inaugural record of 3 days 14 hours and 25 minutes.

After making a gain of 11 miles over second placed Foncia since the early this morning, Dick may be back on course to pass Gibraltar holding the race lead.

© María Muiña

Barcelona World Race / Président duo lead

As Jean Le Cam (FRA) and Bruno Garcia (ESP) on Président seized a tiny advantage from their course which took them inshore across the Gulf of Valencia, three different teams have now led since the Barcelona World RACE started at 1300hrs on Friday.

The first night and morning saw intense competition continuing in light downwind conditions, grey overhead with flat light as the main group of five or six boats all reported around midday today, that they were all able to see each other clearly as each of the duos tried to make the best of the patchy, and often inconsistent winds.

Barcelona World Race / To the heart of two passions for Bruno Garcia (ITW)

Bruno Garcia, the Catalan co-skipper who partners Jean Le Cam on Président is one of two strictly amateur sailors, that is to say those who are taking time out from their day jobs, their full time careers, to compete in the Barcelona World Race.

Credit : J Vapillon / President

Garcia’s twin passions are sailing and medicine. He has loved both since he was a youngster, but, as he notes wryly, there are not many options to practice medicine as a hobby.
Resourceful, intelligent and talented, Bruno and his brother Willy formed the vanguard of a Catalan push into the Figaro fleet and that is when they met up for the first time with the best of the French sailors of their time, Michel Desjoyeaux, Roland Jourdain and, of course Le Cam who won the Solitaire du Figaro three times.
Now Garcia is on a six months sabbatical from his job as an interventionist cardiologist to compete on the Barcelona World RACE:

Barcelona World Race / Now we are ten

Of the fleet of fifteen IMOCA Open 60’s which are entered for the Barcelona World Race ten are now in Barcelona after three teams arrived during today (Wednesday).

Credit : BWR

In the very early hours of the morning it was Alex Thomson (GBR) and Andy Meiklejohn (NZL) on Hugo Boss who concluded and challenging sail from Gosport, England followed at just after midday by Ryan Breymaier (USA) and Boris Hermann (GER) who sailed non stop from Concarneau on Neutrogena, with Jean Le Cam (FRA) and Bruno Garcia tied up in the marina by 1500hrs this afternoon on Président, after their passage from Port-la-Forêt.