EFG Bank Monaco win Leg 5 to extend lead

EFG Bank Monaco’s winning streak continued yesterday as Sidney Gavignet and his OmaniEuropean team notched up another leg win from Abu Dhabi to Doha to edge closer to defending their EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour title.

Gavignet and his team are looking unstoppable. In winds that reached 25 knots they increased their lead overnight. And, by the time a shortened course was signalled at Gate 3, they had built up a lead of nearly two miles over second-placed Team Renaissance.

“This was the toughest leg ever in the history of the tour. It was breezy into headwinds all the way and we had up to 1.5-metre waves, which is quite something for the Farr 30s,” Gavignet said.

“We keep the same speed [overnight] but we do lots of rotation onboard and no crew is ever on watch for more than two hours, so this helps keep up the speed and avoids struggle when fatigue sets in.”

EFG Bank Monaco’s biggest threat this week is the UK-based Team Averda skippered by Marcel Herrera. Herrera, a runner-up to Gavignet in 2014, maintained second position in the early stages of Leg 5 but Renaissance were ahead at the finish line.

“It was very tough and a real test of endurance and stamina. We fought to hold onto our second place but, in the early hours, just before the finish, Renaissance managed to just get ahead and keep their boat going a little bit faster, so well done to them.”

Today the teams will take part in the final in-port race at Doha at 12.30pm before they set off on the final leg to Bahrain tomorrow morning.