The Transat–First Finish Tonight: Amazing. Twenty-four hours of racing and there hasn’t been a dismasting or capsize. Plus, Swiss skipper Bernard Stamm has been plucked by a tanker from his keel-less, upturned boat. But there is plenty of close, close racing. In the 60-foot trimaran fleet, leader Michel Desjoyeaux on Geant is under 200 miles from Boston and should get there this afternoon (knocking about a day off the existing Transat record of 9 days 23 hours). Nipping at his hulls, just 32 miles behind and going almost twice as fast at the moment, is Thomas Coville in Sodebo. Desjoyeaux, winner of the last Vendee Globe, is the ultimate clinician. But even “The Professor,” as he is called, is probably sweating it right now, because there are light, tricky winds all the way to Boston.

Back in the 60-foot monohull fleet, there is an equally heated battle going on between Brit Mike Golding on Ecover and Kiwi newcomer Mike Sanderson on Pindar AlphaGraphics. They’ve been trading the front position back and forth, and for the moment Golding is clinging to a slim 2.3 mile lead. And the big news is in the 50-foot monohull fleet, where TWC favorite Joe Harris on Wells Fargo has finally overtaken Kip Stone on ArtForms, eking out a 20 mile lead. This fleet still has 1200 miles to go, so Joe will have to fight for his lead over a huge distance. Here’s what he had to say about the ride overnight:

“The boat is flying along, borderline out of control. It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time…It is so dark out here and so wild on deck. And we are sailing at full speed. It’s an unreal situation. With the boat vibrating so much the radar is not getting clean scans so essentially I am sailing blind.”

Pretty ballsy for a first-timer. A big TWC tip of the hat to Joe…



Joe Harris And Wells Fargo: “What? I’m actually winning?…I’m still freaking, but I think I like this solo racing thing.”

(Photo: DPPI)