World on Water Nov 04.24 Part 2 (ENG) Transat Cafe L'OR Le Havre Normandie. Rescue Footage Ocean 50s

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Welcome to this special English vrsion of the World on Water for November 04 2025. It is part 2 of our coverage of the Transat Cafe L'or a bi annual double handed race for the magnificent Ultims, the high flying Imocas, Ocean 50's trimarans and the Class 40's. They've been through the channel gale and now the fun begins as they jockey for positions.

Even for the Class 40s which only restarted their TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR race to Martinique on Saturday the intensity and pace is starting to tell, maybe especially in the IMOCA class where the leading trio are engaged in a close drag race in the trade winds. The ULTIM leaders, Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas on SVR Lazartigue have 160 nautical miles in hand with just less than 1600 miles to the finish line in Fort De France whilst the Ocean Fifty pack leaders, Man Le Roch, and Basile Bourgnon, on Edenred 5, seem unable to really make a decisive break. Meanwhile the Class40 leaders are very much watching to see their nearest rivals unfold their strategy, making choices which could likely shape the race.

The ULTIMS are really into the final leg of their race, gybing down the South American exclusion zone to their west. On course to set a new record for victories on this race, five, Franck Cammas is ‘in the zone’ doing what he loves.

In the Imocas After losing 20 or 30 miles when they hit the transition zone first, Jérémie Byou and Morgan Lagravière on Charal are back on track. The US flagged 11th Hour Racing have been quickest for periods early this morning and today, Francesca Clapcich, and Will Harris, pressing extra hard after being required to take a 30 minutes penalty for an inadvertent break of the seal on their liferaft.

The Ocean 50's, With a little less than 1300 nautical miles to go to the finish line, have broken south of the rhumb line, the direct course. They have 35 miles of a cushion over Baptiste Hulin,, and Thomas Rouxel, (Viablis),,and should extend their lead as they get into the strong trade winds.

The top six duos in the Class 40's are within six miles of each other as they take on a low pressure trough. S N S M Faites un Don, who were first into La Coruña, have a small lead in their most southerly position whilst Spanish duo Pep Costa and Pablo Santurde continue to prefer to be the most northerly on VSF Sports, there being some 35 miles of lateral separation.