The race
in brief

During the passage of the front last night whilst racing conservatively upwind in 4-meter swells Pep Costa and Pablo Santurde del Arco discovered a structural problem aboard their Class40 VSF SPORTS. The problem is with the longitudinal beam parallel to the keel, at the bottom of the hull.
This damage forced the Spanish duo to reduce their speed to protect their monohull while continuing their course. After notifying Race Control, the duo contacted the boat's designer to assess the situation and discuss repair options.
Two solutions are available to them,  repair at sea in a sheltered location or make a stopover in Santa Maria, an island located southeast of the Azores archipelago, which would not be a major detour for the VSF Sports duo.
"These two options are under consideration. If we can make the necessary repairs at sea, we will choose that option. Otherwise, we will make a pit stop in Santa Maria, which we will reach in about twenty hours (Thursday, November 6, between 6:00 and 9:00 UTC), where we have contacts waiting for us. We will have to respect the mandatory four-hour stop as indicated in the race instructions: time to let the fiberglass dry before resuming the race," Pep Costa told his team late this morning.

When they do reach Martinique, some much sooner than others, the racers are guaranteed a warm welcome. The race village in Fort de France opens today and the first finisher should arrive tonight or early tomorrow morning. While the Class40s are battling around the Azores, the ULTIMs, Ocean Fifties, and IMOCAs are at full chat in the trade winds towards Martinique, they are also giving it their all. Each team believes in their choices and strategies, some avoiding the worst of the elements, others more concerned about their opponents. No one has won the race yet, but the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie will soon deliver its verdict. SVR Lazartigue should be followed by the first of the Ocean Fifty boats, and for the moment, Viabilis Oceans holds a slight lead in this class.