General Situation:
Wednesday, moderate southwesterly flow in the Bay of Biscay, ahead of a cold front and moderate northwesterly flow behind it.
Thursday, moderate northeast flow over the Bay of Biscay, on the edge of the Azores high
Friday, moderate northeast flow over the Bay of Biscay, on the edge of a 1024 hPa anticyclone centered on the United Kingdom
Sea conditions this Wednesday, August 28
Alexis Loison on Groupe Reel is still leading this leg. He is part of the group with about twenty other boats that have chosen a more central route, close to the orthodomy. They are still progressing ahead of the cold front, further west, under a fairly weak southwesterly flow of only 5-8 knots. The other group of boats led by Alexis Thomas will quickly pass behind the cold front this morning under a moderate northwesterly flow of 10-15 knots. The leading group will pick up this same medium flow in the afternoon. The entire fleet will pass this evening under the influence of a ridge of high pressure that will swell again towards Brittany, and behind the cold front. The wind will then take a little to the right this evening to settle in the north around 10 knots on average.
Sea conditions this Thursday, August 29
The ridge, progressing a little further towards the north of France, will turn the flow to the north-east around 15-20 knots on the fleet's route. The cold front will evacuate towards the Aquitaine coast, becoming stormy, but this should not upset the skippers who will be sailing behind, further west. The first sailors are expected at midday in Gijon under a favourable flow from the north-east sector around 10-15 knots, while the last sailors should cross the finish line in the second part of the afternoon, under a more established north-easterly flow of 15-20 knots.
Weather conditions in Gijon
Friday August 30
Overcast in the morning with light rain then timid clearings in the afternoon
Wind: light northeast 10 to 15 km/h (gusts 30 km/h)
Temperatures: 19 to 21°C
Chance of precipitation: 100% in the morning and 45% in the afternoon between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Saturday August 31
Fog in the morning giving way to overcast to very cloudy skies in the afternoon
Wind: light northeast 5-10 km/h (gusts 20km/h)
Temperatures: 19 to 22°C
Risk of precipitation: 0% in the morning then 25% in the afternoon