On a direct course to Gibraltar with easterlies blowing and the gap with rival “Temenos 2” narrowing, “Mutua Madrileña” is about to cross the seventh and final scoring gate in the race. At 16:00 GMT the Spanish entry was 74 miles (137 km) from Gibraltar, hoping to pass the rock at around midnight.
The conditions that await “Mutua Madrileña” are not looking favourable
with strong swells and gusts of up to 40 knots (some 75 km/h). “We’ll be
sticking close to shore. In theory, we should get less wind there, but then
we’ll have to move away and we’ll get more. We need to do this calmly, without
taking risks”, said Bubi Sansó in today’s videoconference.
In terms of the battle with “Temenos 2” Bubi admits that the forecast
isn’t going to make things easy, but says catching up with them is not an
impossibility: “If we got a forecast of high pressure or the wind
dropped it would be easier, but
with things looking the way they are, it’s tricky. It looks like the wind is
going to stay that way practically until Barcelona”. Even so, the
Spaniard added “If there’s any chance at all of passing them we’ll grab it.
Even though we’re going sensibly we’re not going to sit back and take it easy”.
Family comes firstPachi knew exactly what he was going to
say when he was asked what he wanted the team to bring to the boat in the rib
when “Mutua Madrileña” approaches Barcelona’s port. “My kids. I want them to
bring me my kids… but they mustn’t forget to put life-jackets on them!” joked the
Spaniard.
“Bubi” Sansó was less sure. Unlike his teammate, “Bubi” doesn’t have a
wife and kids, so he had to have a think about it: “I’m not really sure…
maybe a big bottle of champagne or a Coca-Cola”.
“Temenos 2” crosses the Straits
“Temenos
2” crossed the final scoring gate at Gibraltar at 01:30 GMT. The Franco-Swiss
entry took 13 days, 8 hours and 45 minutes to complete the leg between Fernando
de Noronha (Brazil) and Gibraltar. As such “Temenos 2” has positioned herself
at the top of the rankings for the eighth leg, having beaten both “Paprec
Virbac 2” and “Hugo Boss”. Now the duo will have to wait until “Mutua
Madrileña” and “Educación Sin Fronteras” have both crossed the Straits to see
which entry will officially top the rankings for the penultimate leg in the
Barcelona World Race.
Day 97 –
16:00 GMT
Position/Boat/Skippers
(Nationality)/Distance from Barcelona
1 Paprec Virbac 2, Dick (FRA)/Foxall (IRL), finished.
2 Hugo Boss, Thomson (GBR)/Cape (AUS), finished.
3
Temenos 2, Wavre (SUI)/Paret
(FRA), 413 miles
4 MUTUA MADRILEÑA, Rivero (ESP)/Sansó (ESP),
590 miles
5 EDUCACIÓN SIN FRONTERAS, Escoffier (FRA)/Bargués
(ESP), 2,177 miles
Veolia
Environnement, Jourdain (FRA)/Nélias (FRA), retired
Estrella Damm, Altadill
(ESP)/McKee (USA), retired
Delta Dore, Beyou
(FRA)/Gavignet (FRA), retired
PRB, Riou (FRA)/Josse (FRA), retired