VENDÉE GLOBE
NICOLAS LUNVEN 6TH IN THE VENDÉE GLOBE 2024
This Friday at 0751 PM UTC, after 75 days, 07 hours and 49 minutes of racing, Nicolas Lunven crossed the Vendée Globe finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne in sixth place, in the midst of a building winter storm. The completion of his circumnavigation represents a remarkable performance for the Breton skipper’s first participation, especially as he didn’t take the reins of Holcim – PRB’s IMOCA until September 2023, little more than a year before the start.
An extremely experienced and talented sailor, Nicolas was an obvious choice to take the Holcim – PRB campaign forward. Significant career milestones already included two Solitaire du Figaro victories (2009 and 2017), plus three participations in The Ocean Race. He also has almost a decade of experience in the IMOCA class, including the successful completion of the 2022 Vendée Arctique, taking 10th place in an older boat sporting the colours of a previous sponsor.
AUDACITY AND RESILIENCE
Nicolas immediately confirmed that he was ready to compete in the big leagues. Taking advantage of bold strategic options, he was the first skipper in this edition of the Vendée Globe to break the solo 24 hour distance record in a 60ft yacht, covering 546.60 miles. Although this was surpassed by Yoann Richomme and Sébastien Simon, it nevertheless highlights his ability to exploit all the speed of his IMOCA.
He also demonstrated both calm and ingenuity when faced with technical issues, including a repair to a ballast hatch in the doldrums and damage to his mainsail in the Southern Ocean.
Consistently good strategic choices, combined with an ability to sail cleanly in the most harsh conditions, were highlighted in a close match with Jérémie Beyou and Thomas Ruyant in the Pacific.
TENACITY IN THE FACE OF THE UNEXPECTED
The loss of masthead wind sensors in an area of intense thunder storms during the ascent of the Atlantic robbed Nicolas of equipment that’s essential for optimising performance. Yet being forced to rely on a makeshift arrangement rigged on the pushpit at the back of the boat didn’t appear to dent his speed and he even gained a place in the final days, having made particularly good progress in an intense depression before the Azores.
Lunven’s performance in his first Vendée Globe shows he has the mindset, determination and technical skill to compete with the very best at the highest echelon of his sport, suggesting more exploits to come for the 42-year-old skipper.
THOMAS RUYANT, 7TH IN THE VENDÉE GLOBE 2024
This Saturday, January 25, at 0449 AM UTC, after 75 days, 16 hours and 47 minutes at sea Thomas Ruyant, solo skipper of VULNERABLE, crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 7th position off Les Sables d’Olonne. On his third Vendée Globe Ruyant started as one of the podium favourites. A fast, dynamic and smart sailor from Dunkirk in the north of France, his TR Racing team stable fielded two boats named VULNERABLE, his own latest generation Koch-Finot Conq design and the Verdier boat sailed by Brit Sam Goodchild.
Known as the King of the Transats because of his record on the Autumn sprints from Europe to the Caribbean, Ruyant won the last two Transat Jacques Vabre races and the 2022 Route du Rhum but against the toughest, most competitive Vendée Globe fleet ever, Ruyant suffered from a few niggling technical problems, not least losing his workhorse J2 headsail in a squall in the South Atlantic which rendered him compromised in race for the top placings in the peloton, behind the runaway top three.
For 43 year old Ruyant who finished sixth on the last Vendée Globe even after losing his port foil and retiring into New Zealand out of the 2016-17 race when his boat suffered a major structural failure, this seventh is not quite where he hoped to finish, even in this white hot fleet, but he put in a solid performance all the way round. He was fast out of the blocks and sailed cleverly down the light, fickle breezes of the North Atlantic to carry a slender lead across the Equator after making the best choice in the Doldrums.
In the Southern Ocean, the intensity increased. Between storms, electrical blackouts and technical breakdowns, Ruyant really had to push his limits. In the Indian Ocean, like others he chose to be prudent rather than push into the big depression which was the passport to the podium for winner Charlie Dalin and third placed Seb Simon.
He was in good shape, fighting valiantly in the peloton on the climb up the Atlantic. Violent squalls, including one at over 55 knots, put his boat to the test causing irreparable damage to his J2 (headsail). Fighting to the end he managed to hold off Justine Mettraux on the climb from north of the Azores to take a well deserved, hard won seventh tonight.
A MEANINGFUL IMOCA
Beyond the race, his IMOCA, flying the flag for vulnerability, has engaged hundreds of thousands of people. This unique project has helped raise awareness of the latent strengths that vulnerability can reveal. It has also brought together hundreds of economic, associative and institutional leaders around a common conviction: without changing our perspective on the vulnerability of Humans and the Planet, no lasting change is possible. And so although this Vendée Globe did not give Ruyant the honors he sought, it remains an enthralling high performance adventure marked by an ability to overcome challenges with calm, commitment and professionalism
Discover more from NAUTICA NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.