Back in the race, after his damage of connecting arm, Thomas Coville darkens with his Ultimate and could even go as fast as the winner of 2002, Michel Desjoyeaux, who had spent 13 days crossing the Atlantic, with his Orma Giant.
Saturday, while Joyon (Idec) and Gabard (Macif), his playmates in Ultimate, approached Guadeloupe, Thomas Coville was back in the race. At the forced stop at La Coruña, Spain, after the damage of his liaison arm, he repaired. "It was a serious mistake," said Sodebo's skipper. However, we tried to repair. We never gave up. As in the mechanical sport, we had the right to be in pit-stop and that's what we did. "
Since then, Sodebo has descended at high speed, south of the Canaries, to join more favorable trade winds. A return to the race to continue learning, and move on. "I was so disappointed, so frustrated that I stopped so early in the race that I decided to leave and just finish. Make me happy, go back on the water, rather than stay on the ground and ruminate. It is here again on the water aboard this magic trimaran that I erase this disappointment. "
There are still more than 2,000 miles in Coville before reaching Pointe-à-Pitre, but if he arrives Sunday, the skipper of Sodebo, despite his five-day pit stop, will have been as fast as Laurent Bourgnon winner on Primagaz, in 1994 (14 days, 6 hours, 28 minutes). Evidence of the level of performance achieved today. And if the conditions are favorable, arriving Saturday, it could even approach the time of Michel Desjoyeaux, winner in 2002 with Giant (13 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes).
A last gallop with his Ultimate to succeed, before giving it to Actual and Yves Le Blevec, and move on to the new generation.