
The first ranking at 15hrs UTC shows a small lead in the IMOCA class for Yann Eliès and Charlie Dalin on Queguiner ahead of Newrest/Matmut of Fabrice Amadeo and Eric Peron with SMA, Paul Meilhat and Michel Desjoyeaux third. Less than a mile separates the top three boats after two and a half hours of sailing, still making about eight knots upwind. At the Seine Maritime buoy SMA are leading.
In Class 40 Team Concise are second but almost side by side with their training partners Bretagne-Crédit Mutuel Élite.


Alex Thomson, GBR, Hugo Boss: “It was not too bad but we caught a very big lobster pot off Cherbourg and so we had to stop many times. We lost at least 10 or 12 miles but apart from that it has not been too bad. Our option is to try and stay south to try and avoid conditions which are too strong. Our boat is only eight days old and so we don’t we feel it is very prudent to go the fastest route and so it looks healthy, we lead the fleet today but the long term shows we will be one day behind by Cape Verde.
It is wet on deck. We have 20-25kts the wind is forward of the beam and it is very choppy seas. It is a bit grey. But we had a good night. We cannot complain. We had a few little teething problems, nothing major but of course it takes a long time to learn a boat like this properly. So we feel pretty happy where we are. We both got a couple of hours sleep which is good and so we feel healthy.”
General situation Monday, 26 October to at 0600hrs UTC
The deep depression at 970hPa at 400 miles west of Ireland is directly in front of the bows of the Transat Jacques Vabre fleet. This depression is shifting slowly SE and losing its activity. But in the meantime seas are big and the winds are strong.
Forecast for the day of 26 October and into the night.
Ultime
Have made the clear choice to go south of the depression, the winds are 17-23kts from the S but they will veer SW during the evening with gusts to 35kts. A big swell from the WNW is present.
Multi50
Are also going south the wind veers later for them as they get west later. They will get the worst swell tomorrow morning.
IMOCA
For those taking the passage to the north. SW winds 30-35 gusting to 40kts. Seas are big and it will rain this evening. S’ly fresh 20-25 gusting 30. Veers SW and builds. Sea becomes rough to very rough. Big W’ly swell.
Class 40
Same menu as IMOCA but slightly later as they progress more slowly into depression.

Tracker
Trend for the day October 27:
The depression fills as moves east south east, winds ease and the swell grows.
Richard SILVANI
Meteo France
Weather forecast over race area of transat Jacques Vabre 2013
1 General synopsis by October 26, 2015 at 00h UTC : Low 970 hPa at 400 miles in west southwest Ireland, with little move, expected 972 hPa at 12h UTC, then 983 hPa by 27 at 12h UTC at 250 miles in southwest Ireland. Le cold front axis over 12 west moving slowly east.
High 1029 hPa 40 north and 40 west moving slowly south
2 Weather forecast from October 26, 2015 at 09h UTC to October 27, 2015 at 12h UTC :
OUESSANT :South or south east 15/20 decreasing 10/15 kt later. Sea moderate or rough wave 1.5m west swell 3 m.
SOLE :Southerly 20 or 30 kt from east to west gusts 30 or 40 kt from east to west, decreasing 25 kt gusts 35 kt in west later. Sea very rough or high , wave 2m west swell 4 or 6 m from east to west
FASTNET :South 20/25 kt gusts 35 kt. Sea rough, wave 1.5m west swell 4m.
SHANNON :South 25 or 35 kt from east to west gusts 45 kt decreasing 20/30 kt gusts 40 kt later. Sea high in south wave 4m and west swell 6m. West
YEU : South 12/18 kt veering south west soon. Sea moderate becoming rough by west swell 3.5 or 4m.
PAZENN : veering South west 20/25 kt gusts 30 kt increasing 23/28 kt gusts 35 kt in north west of area at midday. rough locally high in west, wave 2m west swell 3m increasing 5m in far west. East of ROMEO : South west 25/35 kt from southeast to northwest gusts 35/45 kt from southeast to northwest, veering west 30/35 kt gusts 50 kt in west at end. Sea high or very high, wave 3m west swell 7m. Page 1
FINISTERRE :South west 15/20 kt gusts 28 kt increasing 20/25 kt gusts 35 kt in north later. Sea rough or very rough with northwest swell 6m. 3 Further outlook from October 27, 2015 at 12h UTC to October 28, 2015 at 12h UTC. Strong wind warning greater than 40 nds : None High wave warning greater than 6 m :
ROMEO and CHARCOT : houle of north west of 6m On Monday , October 26, 2015 at 07h 28 UTC.
Richard Silvani Météo-France


Jérémie Beyou: “ We were sailing under J1 at 120 degrees from the wind with all three stays in place. Suddenly stay no.2 came down with the sail and broke as it fell on the outrigger. We managed to recover it. Luckily it fell at that moment. A couple hours later, we would have been under J2. In that configuration, the boat would have been dismasted, as we would have removed the other two stays that hold up the mast.”
“The swivel came unscrewed. It may have been the locking system that broke. Today, we found a way to replace it with an identical piece, but we still need to check it out, so that we can set off in a condition that will allow us to face the weather that is forecast in the coming hours. It’s very hard, as we had been well placed in respect to the ideal option that we had decided on. In any case, we are waiting for the green light to know whether we can put any pressure on the boat in the heavy weather.”

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