This Sunday marks the start of the fifth and final leg: nearly 2,000 miles between Genoa (Italy) and the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro!
A Mediterranean crossing that will take the fleet around Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, before rounding a waypoint south of Greece and heading up the Adriatic Sea towards the Bay of Kotor. A final challenge that Alan Roura, Conrad Colman, Jessica Berthoud, and Yann Burkhalter are ready to take on aboard Team AMAALA.
“The overall situation looks quite complex on this fifth leg. The start will be very light, which will make it difficult to build speed and manage our positioning on the line. At this stage, it’s hard to identify a clear trend for how the race will unfold. The first 150 to 200 miles are likely to be particularly long, with large areas of no wind to cross. That will demand a lot of opportunism and constant, precise trimming. Typical of the Mediterranean, there’s also an element of luck involved! The weather files are not all in agreement, especially in the light patches, and between now and Sardinia the systems still have plenty of time to evolve. One thing is certain: the route will be long and demanding, with numerous sail changes and plenty of maneuvers.
We expect a tough but exciting leg! It’s in these challenging conditions that speed differences appear most quickly: the boat that catches a puff of breeze first breaks away immediately. For us, the trickiest part will be the start. The first 24 hours will be decisive: we’ll need to stay fully focused and give nothing away. We can’t wait to get going!”
“Coming back on board feels really good: even after just six days away from the boat, it’s such a pleasure to be back and to prepare for this last leg! This morning, the excitement is definitely there, with a bit of apprehension too. We know it will be a slow leg, sometimes frustrating, but I can’t wait to get back out there — the desire to do well is stronger than anything.
On a personal level, my goal is clear: to step out of my comfort zone and push my limits. Alan and Alexis Landais (Team AMAALA’s human performance coach, ed.) told me they wanted me to arrive in Montenegro with the satisfaction of knowing I had given everything, with nothing left in reserve. That’s exactly what I want too: to push myself and to learn! And learning isn’t always comfortable. So I’m going to take everything that comes my way: constructive criticism, advice, and all the knowledge that can be shared.
It’s going to be long, intense, sometimes slow, and maybe even a bit fun on certain legs! Collectively, my goals are simple: to push myself, get the most out of the boat, give our very best… and arrive with no regrets!”
“Above all, I feel extremely grateful and lucky to be here. It’s an incredible experience to be able to sail on an IMOCA with Alan’s team.
The atmosphere is fantastic, the crew is great, and the boats are impressive. I feel truly privileged and, above all, eager to start. These last few days, with all the obligations and preparations, have been pretty intense and a little stressful for me — it was something new. But today, on race day, all that fades away and the focus is back on the race.
The course will be long, with light winds at times and tough sea conditions, but I have great confidence in our team. We’ll give everything we’ve got and push the boat to its full potential. I’m really excited to experience this leg… see you in Montenegro!”
Image © Adrien Cordier / Air Vide et Eau productions