Vendée Globe Race – Day 14

Vendée Globe Race – Day 14 – Thoughts the Hole

by Vendée Globe media 22 Nov 09:20 PST
22 November 2024

Of the 39 boats nonetheless racing within the Vendée Globe most at the moment are out of the Doldrums and virtually half at the moment are throughout the Equator within the Southern Hemisphere. Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) led the fleet throughout final night time at 1910hrs yesterday night.

His elapsed time of 11d 07h 08m 15s is sort of to the minute two days slower than race report outbound to the Equator than Alex Thomson’s report time set in November 2016. And the skipper from the very north of France’s time is definitely the slowest because the 2008 race when Loïck Peyron led over to the South Atlantic after 12d 05hrs.

However after Ruyant slowed to take care of a technical challenge Charlie Dalin took the lead early this morning on his MACIF Santé Prévoyance. It’s the third time thus far this race that Dalin has taken the lead and he has profited properly from his place and the ability of his boat within the commerce winds reaching circumstances thus far.

And so while the skippers in the direction of the again of the fleet are nonetheless coping with the lighter winds, the squalls and calms of the ITCZ, the Doldrums, the main group have their foot down, pushing as arduous as they will to verify they are often on board the primary low stress system growing north of Rio which is able to propel them to the SE at helpful speeds. With the Saint Helena excessive stress system displaced to the east there’s a nice likelihood of catching up a few of the that point misplaced within the north Atlantic. However lacking the low appears to be like costly because the excessive stress reforms in a really messy approach.

Ruyant defined within the Vendée LIVE present as we speak, “I had a slowdown as a result of a hydraulic ram downside on J3, head sail. I needed to repair it and that meant altering sails. I needed to bear away to repair the issue. I finished a bit however I bought going once more. So there have been two or three hours once I wasn’t very quick due to this little downside. And the actual fact of getting left the Doldrums very far to the west in comparison with the fleet, the few levels of angle, I’ll attempt to maintain my place and harden as much as them I hope. I knew that this tack was going to be sophisticated, particularly since some, like Charlie, are going very quick at these speeds. However proper now there are 9 of us in lower than 60 miles, that is fairly spectacular. Everybody is actually in shut contact on this race thus far. However that takes a variety of vitality too. There’s been motion from the beginning. And now the concept of ??catching this low, it will take us a minimum of to the Cape of Good Hope. Usually we should always all take the identical wagon, I believe.”

Quick Cla Cla

Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitaine en Provence) is quickest this afternoon on Dalin’s former boat however so additionally has been Boris Herrmann (Malizia-Seaexplorer) who’s 14th. He believes he’ll simply make the lower off to be on the primary low, however mentioned as we speak it might be right down to 50 miles right here or there.

Meantime crossing the Equator cider brandy, beer, wine, Calvados, rum have all been provided as much as King Neptune. Teetotal Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) provided particular chocolate from Grenada, Pip Hare….a cup of tea and a few shredded date cake! On this race to Rio, avoiding the hole, the lower off, each little little bit of luck will assist not launched having Neptune on facet!

“North of Rio de Janeiro, throughout the day on Sunday, the leaders ought to catch this low stress system and thus attain the Cape of Good Hope virtually immediately,” defined Christian Dumard, climate advisor for the occasion.

Delayed within the Doldrums

And a few are nonetheless coping with the ITCZ, “The Doldrums do not appear too dangerous however I do not need to assume that till I am utterly out of it,” commented Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans – Wewise), a bit superstitious but additionally and above all marked by an expertise that he himself describes as “nightmarish” 4 years in the past.

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