Globe40 2025/26 Stage 2 Update - Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium and Credit Mutuel 1 mile apart

Belgium Ocean Racing © Sirius Events

The incredible duel between the Belgian and French contenders continues in the forties after 4,890 miles of racing! Late Friday, as they passed Gough Island, Benoit Hantzperg and Renaud Dehareng seemed to have gained a small cushion of miles (28.8) to fend off the French threat after their crazy week and the 24-hour speed record in Class40, broken and re-broken last Tuesday and Wednesday (452, then 456, then 457.72 miles).

The illusion was short-lived; This morning, at 2:00 a.m., the gap was only 1.1 miles, and at 6:00 a.m., it was 1.8 miles. What happened? "Stuck" between the high pressure zone to the north and the 42 degreesS barrier, positioned by the organization as a prohibited zone, the competitors had to find their way to the Cape of Good Hope downwind in about fifteen knots. The Belgian team initially chose to position themselves to the north, leaving the southernmost French team closest to the "wall"; but as their gap gradually diminished, the Belgians repositioned themselves to the south after crossing paths with their rival during the night. This tactical game (subject to possible unknown difficulties on board) reduced the gap to a very thin sheet. Thus, Ian Lipinski and Amélie Grassi gained about fifteen miles during the night.

We can only applaud the impressive fighting spirit of the two crews after 17 days of racing and nearly 5,000 miles covered at an average surface speed of 12.33 knots; one can imagine the tension aboard the two Class40s, racing as if in Quiberon Bay at 42 degrees south at the edge of the ice... an unprecedented event for the fastest race ever seen in a Class40; the previous record to be beaten, unless we are mistaken, was set in the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre with the victory of Ambrogio Beccaria and Nicolas Andrieu after 5,381 miles covered at an average speed of 12.11 knots; this second edition of the GLOBE40 is truly a pioneer in the history of the Class40s.

And the "pointus" are not left behind, as the gaps are closing here too, with competitors in the "sharp" classics about 1,000 miles behind the leading group finally benefiting from more favorable conditions - before windy conditions in the next days - and returning to average speeds above 10 knots. BARCO BRESIL still leads its closest rival FREE DOM with a lead of only 75 miles; and 4,3 miles separate JANGADA RACING and WILSON AROUND THE WORLD; WHISKEY JACK is once again making a strong comeback, 100 miles behind. Between the two groups, NEXT GENERATION is 500 miles behind the leading group; the gaps are therefore not so significant, given the distance covered, and they anticipate a gap of barely a week upon arrival at Reunion Island, still around October 30th, according to the latest routing.

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