(January 24, 2024; Day 18) – Two-thirds of the fleet competing in the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest have incurred performance-robbing damage, with Anthony Marchand on the 30-metre Actual Ultim 3 as the latest casualty.

He reported yesterday that a collision damaged his port foil, and initially chose to continue racing after a first diagnosis and attempted repair. However, he now will make a technical stop in Cape Town, some 400 miles to the north, to address the problem before proceeding in the solo round-the-world race for the Ultim Class.

After repairs were carried out by Marchand, the situation seemed stable but it worsened overnight to the point that he and the team did not want to consider carrying on to cross the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

“There are too many uncertainties to allow ourselves to cross the two most hostile oceans on the planet,” explained Yves Le Blevec, director of Team Actual. “The damaged foil has deteriorated in its housing and is loose within the float. The 420 kg part is impossible to immobilize, repeated impacts represent a real risk for the structural integrity of the float, and therefore also the entire boat.”

The solution is remove the damaged foil, but to do so alone at sea, with the wind and swell, was considered to be an impossible mission.

Team Actual is setting out to meet Marchand in Cape Town and carry out all the necessary repairs, expected to occur within the allotted time of 24 hours, the minimum stopover duration imposed by the race regulations.

Marchand is currently moving slowly and is preparing to cross a ridge which is the transition between two weather systems, before reaching the South African port in around 48 hours on January 26.

Details: https://arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

The Ultim Class trimarans have a maximum length of 32 meters and a maximum width of 23 meters.

The solo speed record around the world was set in 2017 by François Gabart (FRA) on the 30m Macif trimaran in a time of 42d 14h 40m 15s for an average speed of 21.08 knots. This yacht has been rebranded and will be raced by Marchand.

Entrants:
• Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017 Verdier 32/23)
• Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 (2019 VPLP/others 32/23)
• Tom Laperche (FRA), Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue (2021 VPLP 32/23)
• Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI (2021 VPLP 32/23)
• Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 (2015 VPLP 30/22)
• Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio (2014 VPLP 31/21)*
* Only entrant without foiling appendages

Five rules from the Sailing Instructions:
• The start line is kept open for 168 hours and the finish line is closed after an elapsed time of 100 days after the start time, that is to say 16th April 2024.

• The skippers can communicate and exchange with their teams on shore, so they have the freedom to get weather information and be routed by their team on shore and get technical help and advice to help with technical problems.

• The solo skippers can stop but there are two distinct operations. A technical stop is unassisted and requires the sailor to drop anchor, take a mooring, or tie up alongside an anchored or moored boat with no external help. There is no time penalty for a technical stop. But for a technical stopover (escale technique) where one or more crew or technical team come on board to help, there is a mandatory 24 hours minimum. This does not apply to the start port of Brest where all means are authorized to reach or leave the port within a radius of 50 miles.

• For the first time in ocean racing, zones where there are known to be a high concentration of whales and sea mammals are determined. Establishing these zones should both protect the marine wildlife and reduce the chance of a collision. These zones are around the Azores, the Canaries, south of South Africa, the Kerguelens, and parts of the Antarctic.

• There are ice exclusion zones to protect the skippers and their boats.

Source: scuttlebutt – https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2024/01/24/latest-casualty-in-arkea-ultim-challenge/