Night 4: Fatigue Sets In
As the sun sets over Caledonian waters, the crews enter their fourth night at sea — marked by fatigue, focus… and uncertainty. Many of them are now nearing Nouméa, but the final stretch promises to be tricky.
As they approach Nouméa, the conditions are becoming increasingly technical. A double weather phenomenon is affecting the wind, making it nearly nonexistent in places. The result: slower progress, repeated maneuvers in search of the slightest breeze, and maximum vigilance required — not an easy task after four nights on board.
For the double-handed crews, the situation is even more complex. Yann from BNC – My::Net shares: “We don’t really know what’s going to happen tonight, but we’ll have to stay sharp. We’re all in, motivated, and happy to be in the mix with the two Sydney boats and Young Guns. If the weather stays steady, we’re fine. But if the wind drops — as it often does in front of Nouméa at night — we’ll have to keep changing sails… And when there are only two of us, every maneuver has to count. We’re ready, but anything can happen.”
On board Poulpito – MLS – FCD, fatigue is also beginning to show. “It’s normal, we’re heading into night four,” says David. “But everything’s going smoothly on board. Having competitors constantly close by really pushes us to perform. I’ll keep a vivid memory of the Grand Passage: we were all there, the three of us — with BNC and Guilty – Speed Marine – Epureau — sailing under spinnaker at night, seeing each other and realizing we’d circled New Caledonia just to meet again at that moment. It was pretty amazing… even if it was quite intense!”
These two crews, along with Young Guns, Roamance, and Guilty, are expected to arrive tomorrow — but the exact time remains uncertain. “If we get stuck with no wind for three hours in front of Nouméa, we’ll make landfall around 11 a.m.,” explains Yann. “Otherwise, later… But whatever the result, hats off to our opponents — the emotional rollercoaster since the Grand Passage has been immense. It’s been an incredible battle.”
Also worth noting is the great comeback of Maluco, now sitting in second place on corrected time.
Finally, tonight will be marked by the arrival of V5, expected this evening in Nouméa. A warm welcome awaits ashore to celebrate the performance of the Kiwi crew.