Wind gusts reaching 75 knots were recorded at the height of the storm. Yesterday when visitors were still enjoying the event village and its activities, behind the scenes the technical teams had already moved into "commando mode" to secure the village, the pontoons, and the boats. Last night and this morning promised to be harrowing—and Storm Austen certainly lived up to that forecast
Last night, for sure, the storm crashed the party uninvited, sweeping through the ramparts of Saint-Malo and into the harbor basins. By midnight, barriers, banners, and signage had been taken down. As an additional precaution, some sixty heavy goods vehicles, semi-trailers, and buses were strategically positioned around the village to shield the temporary structures from the gusts. This robust defensive strategy helped limit the damage when, in the early morning, Storm Austen intensified—a stark reminder to the skippers, just before their transatlantic crossing, of the true power of nature.
At the Height of the Storm
Around 11:00 a.m the storm reached its peak. On the ULTIM dock, Liamm and IDEC Sport - CIC were the most exposed. Nearby, inside the team’s container, Clément Surtel—technical director for Alexia Barrier—monitored every jolt of the boat, remarking, "It’s shaking just like a high-speed train." He added, "We began our watches on the dock at 4:00 a.m.; it’s just too dangerous to be on board." Despite having four tons of water in its ballast tanks for stability, the ULTIM continued to lift and heave under the force of the wind. For the time being, no major damage has been reported; the maxi-trimarans are holding firm.
Sheltered by the Bajoyer and Saint-Louis quays, the Class40 and Vintage Multi fleets have also escaped any damage. "Things are going reasonably well," comments Charlie Capelle (Acapella - Proludic - La Chaîne de l’Espoir). "The boats are shifting around a bit, but the crews did what was necessary." A quick look at the neighboring boats confirms that the situation remains under control: "There are gusts hitting 40–45 knots, but we’re in a fortunate spot here. The hardest part is actually crossing the race village to reach the quays."
Constant vigilance
Further up the basin, a few halyards snapped on some of the Ocean Fifty trimarans. Mid-morning, the roof of a stand was even blown off, landing on Erwan Le Draoulec’s multihull (Lazare X Hellio). "Fortunately, there was no damage," the skipper reassures us. "We’ve had sustained winds of 50 knots—conditions you almost never encounter. It’s dangerous for the boats, but also for the people. As intense as it is, we’d much rather experience this here than in the middle of the Bay of Biscay."
As a precaution, some sailors kept watch throughout the night. "I slept until 4:00 a.m., and I’ve been on watch ever since," explains Rémy Gerin (Faiaoahe, Vintage Mono). A gust of wind shattered the wind turbine on a nearby pleasure craft, sending shards of aluminum flying onto the deck of his monohull. "The real danger comes from flying debris," he notes. "But the race committee had already warned us about this yesterday." As for the IMOCA fleet, “it was fairly quiet last night,” says Bastian Ogier, boat captain of Allagrande Mapei. “We took shifts, but we managed to get some good sleep. I think we were in the best position, to be honest. We recorded 30–35 knots, with gusts reaching 50 knots here.” Moving the 60-footers the day before proved to be a lifesaver. “Kudos to the organizers for bringing in the trucks; the protective wall they created shielded us well.”“All remains good. We were kind of lucky in a way in terms of timing because we had our main activation a couple of days ago and this is the main event of the year. It could have been worse if we had invitees today. Technically we had to move our boat for them to move the IMOCAs which is fine. One of our guys slept on the boat overnight. “ reported Irish Class40 #Empowher skipper Pam Lee today
An organization standing up to the wind
To contend with the storm, the skippers, technical teams, and event organizers had all been working hard behind the scenes since the previous day. “We adjusted the harbor layout to provide maximum protection for the boats,” explains Julie Coutts, General Manager of OC Sport Pen Duick. “The IMOCA boats were positioned parallel to the quay, while all the ‘Vintage’ vessels were moored to heavy-duty pontoons.” Meanwhile, the organizers and the Saint-Malo municipal services secured the surrounding areas and the walkways within the event village. Dump trucks, heavy goods vehicles, and buses were even used as barricades to shield the boats from potential debris. “We are incredibly grateful to the people of Saint-Malo, as well as the local shopkeepers and businesses, who offered their help late into the night to protect the village,” adds Julie Coutts.
Ultimately, while there was genuine apprehension, it did not dampen the fleet’s spirits. “We followed the organizers’ recommendations, and I have full confidence in the team,” remarked Jérémie Beyou (Charal, IMOCA) this morning. Rémy Guérin (Faiaoahe, Vintage Mono), who we reached aboard his boat, was also in good spirits. "We’ve got some rough weather, but the sails aren’t up and we’re in a harbor, so it’s all good!" The sailor even treated himself to a nice breakfast: "I had...some lemon juice, a banana, honey, and two slices of toast with cherry jam. And thanks to my coffee machine, I was able to make myself two espressos!”