Andrea Fantini and Charles-Louis Mourruau crossed the finish line of the eighth edition of Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables in 14th position, Monday 12th July at 6:50:36 (Paris time). It took the Guidi’s duo 14 days 17 hours 48 minutes and 36 seconds to complete the 2,540-miles route between the Azores and the Vendée. The gap from the first is 3 days 19 hours and 29 minutes and from the crew that preceded them is 48 minutes.
"During this Les Sables - Horta we had a lot of problems. We had two sails falling into the water due to hooks snapping, electronics jumping completely in the air... We had to climb the mast three times to replace an anemometer blade, which we then fixed with an Opinel knife, a hammer and a lighter. We had the speedometer that didn't work anymore, the self-rudder that didn't work anymore, the PC that didn't work anymore, the batteries that didn't charge anymore... What has still been working? Our team! The two of us have always had high moral. We started with our feet on the ground, we never gave up, we always found solutions, we always managed to discuss, had a good laugh, went ahead and fixed things or found a solution. We managed it all together and we really formed a great team! It was nice to resume positions on the return journey after our 12-hour imposed technical stop in Horta, where among other things we received a wonderful welcome!
We really didn't have enough time, before departure, to properly prepare the boat because the project was launched only two weeks earlier. Now we know what to do for the next race. We have a “to do list” as long as our arm, but we now know we have a very fast boat and that's very good!
Now we get to work and stay focused on the next regatta, the Rolex Fastnet Race, which kicks off on August 8th from Cowes on the Isle of Wight and finishes in Cherbourg in France."
Andrea e Charles
