Why did Éric Pilato head west-northwest aboard his Excess 11 instead of setting a direct course for Spain and Cape Finisterre? The answer, of course, comes down to the weather. A low-pressure system lying across his route left a vast area with virtually no wind on its southern side.
Published 07/10/2026
To stay in the breeze, Éric therefore chose to head northwest, accepting that this would take him significantly away from the direct route.
He also needed to cross the shipping lanes before passing outside the Ushant Traffic Separation Scheme. “I had no choice but to head north, follow the wind and accept that it was pushing me that way,” explains the skipper. The evolution of the low-pressure system also confounded more than one forecast: “We weren’t really sure how it was going to behave. It changed every day.”
The detour is now almost complete and Skiboo 2 has begun its run south toward Cape Finisterre. Conditions remain lively: a low-pressure system moving up from the southwest is meeting an area of high pressure advancing from east to west. Between the two systems, the compression of the airflow is creating a frontal line, with strengthening winds and the first squalls.
The good news is that the wind remains from astern, as does the short swell of around 6'7" (2 m). Skiboo 2 is taking advantage of these conditions to accelerate, with a few brief surfs at 10 knots. This pattern should continue for at least the next 36 hours.
Despite the significant detour, Éric remains on schedule. At 6:30 pm, he reported his position as 46°09’N, 7°15’W, while confirming that all is well on board.
In short, his weather-routing choice has added miles to the route, but it is now allowing him to benefit from favorable winds as he makes his way south.
Follow Skiboo 2 here.
Discover the 2026 boats! 
What readers think
Post a comment
No comments to show.