The meteorological phenomena that are raging in the south of Iceland turned out to be more threatening than expected. The organisation has therefore decided to make the Iceland gate, located to the east of the island, the finish line of the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne. Having arrived at 2:47 am, after an insane climb up the rankings, Alan Roura and Hublot made it to the 7th position, in 5 days, 9 hours and 47 minutes, less than 3 hours after the 4th.
The race direction of the Vendée Arctique - Les Sables d’Olonne has decided: the race will stop at the gate located to the south-east of Iceland. Until the very end, the second edition of the “just Vendée Arctique” as Alan put it, was disturbed by a particularly unstable weather system, which continued to deteriorate throughout the race. 7th on Friday evening, thirty miles or so from what would become the finish line, Hublot was trapped in a windless hole, as his competitors zipped along with over 10 knots.
“It was worth the trip”
But Alan Roura held on and managed to keep his hard-won position. Better still, the skipper might even have his reference race, with its impeccable start, some incredible speed phases and unwavering mental attitude. Handicapped on the first night by several technical problems, when the rest of the fleet broke away, Alan held on to a risky western option that finally paid off. With days spend at 20 knots on average, it seems that the Young Swiss sailor is gradually getting to grips with his new boat, discovering the new joys of offshore racing: contact racing. We look forward to seeing what happens next!
“I’m quite happy with this trajectory from the start. The option was risky: the western route all along was a gamble. It paid off more recently than a few days ago. I’m very pleased: of my trajectory, of having climbed up the rankings and finished the match. It’s great to have such an awesome boat to play with. Hublot is a boat with no boundaries. The boundaries are the man, and that’s great.
We had some very tricky conditions. The fleet at the back had some very strong wind, with gusts at 60 knots. For us, it was mainly the sea that was raging, with crosswinds and head swells. It was quite tricky, and even dangerous for the boat. All the alarms rang on board.
I’m going to take shelter in the fjord if possible to check all the boat and a rest a little. We have to take a mooring; the manoeuvre won’t be easy. I can see the coast, it’s amazingly beautiful, well-deserved. I was delighted to be part of this race, even though it was tough. The scenery was worth the trip.”
Photo © Vincent Curutchet / Hublot