Summary
Day 2 brought stronger headwinds and an early tactical split across the fleet. Damien Guillou led the charge south, covering 85 nautical miles and choosing a route expected to offer lighter winds, a more manageable sea state and potentially the best chance of rounding Cape Finisterre before the developing high-pressure system slows the fleet. Ertan Beskardes, who had been close to Damien overnight, surprisingly slowed almost to a stop while waiting for the wind to change.
Further north, Andrea Lodolo, Guy deBoer and Etienne Messikommer were positioning themselves to receive the approaching northwesterly wind first. This could briefly allow them to ease sheets and accelerate south, although the forecast suggested the northern boats might later encounter a large area of very light wind. Guy was making 5.6 knots, with Etienne close behind, while Andrea continued to hold his northerly course.
Elsewhere, Pat Lawless recorded 77 miles over 24 hours, Guido Cantini 68 miles, Isa Rosli 63 miles, Louis Kerdelhué 59 miles, Mara 56 miles, Daniel Pinsky 54 miles, Henry Wootton 52 miles and Matt Woodside 43 miles. Gunnar Christensen remained close to Les Sables d’Olonne after covering 24 miles.
Pär Nyman was still in port following his ceremonial start. After replacing a piece of rigging lost in the water, an inspection revealed corrosion and broken bolts in the upper rudder fitting. The damage had been repaired, and Pär was expected to reload supplies and depart later in the day.
The stronger winds were forecast to pass through quickly, giving the fleet a more favourable northwesterly by the afternoon before conditions eased again. The next major question was who could reach Cape Finisterre before becoming trapped in the centre of the high-pressure system—a split that could potentially create a substantial early lead on the road to Lanzarote.
Daily Report Archive Skipper tweets from 08/09/2026
