Brest Atlantiques: An awesome start

In a choppy sea with waves of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) and 30 to 40 knots of wind, the giant trimarans took on the Atlantic under mainsail alone with two reefs. But making an average speed of 30 knots all the same... Brest Atlantiques is the first major ocean confrontation for the leaders of the Ultim class. On board each boat, two co-skippers and a media man. The route chosen is a figure-of-8 Atlantic circuit totaling 14,000 miles, or the equivalent of half a circumnavigation. As we go to press, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is in Salvador de Bahia where Gitana's technical team is working hard to repair the central daggerboard. Trimaran MACIF has taken the lead in the race, but will also have to make a technical stopover in Rio de Janeiro to replace her central hull rudder (on loan from the Banque Populaire Team). Sodebo Ultim 3 should see the opportunity to take the lead in the race, ahead of Actual Leader.