VENDÉE GLOBE
Benefiting from his more easterly position – albeit by just a few small miles – Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) was able to wriggle past Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) during the latter part of yesterday afternoon and is back in the lead of the Vendée Globe.
In the very light conditions Richomme seems to have been snared by some particularly tough wind holes in this high pressure, light winds area – which Dalin yesterday described as the Brasilian Doldrums – which saw the skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance escape. Dalin resumes the lead for the first time since December 21st at 1,000 miles before Cape Horn.
In third Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) is in the same light winds and his advance, his return back at the leaders has halted at about 240 miles. He is optimistic but staying focused on his own race, his own conditions and his own strategy :
I have only six knots of wind and all of the day have had between six and eight knots and so I just try to keep the boat moving as when it stops it gets difficult. I expect to have this light wind for two days. I really don’t look at the other two very much, I try to stay focused on my own race and don’t want to lose energy looking at them. They will probably get out one day before me but we will see, we are not in the same position they are more east than me which for the future is going to be better but checking the weather forecast, especially the high pressure, in one week it is much bigger and so to be more east is maybe the best thing for the tradewinds, but to get through the high pressure I stay focussed. I am watching Thomas Ruyant but he is upwind and I expect him to come back a bit but I expect to keep my advantage as I am 1000 miles ahead I am really happy. The weather is warmer so I took a shower today, I spent more than one month without a shower that is really great I feel so good and can go on deck to watch the sky, the sunrise and the stars, it is a really good moment in this Vendée Globe, the race is so intense but the boat is so fast all the Southern Ocean. So to be a bit slower just now is really great. To try to manage the boat and take care of it and fix small things before the North Atlantic Ocean, we have still a big 15 or 16 days of sailing left before the finish of the race and so for the moment it is fine but in the North Atlantic a few days before the finish line it will be really hard conditions.
To the south the scrap continues as the main, compact group. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) is actually furthest north in terms of latitude but Nico Lunven (HOLCIM PRB) is better positioned relative to the rhumb line in fifth. In eighth Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) is still only a few miles ahead of Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer). They are upwind in about 15kts of wind.
Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitaine en Provence) is going well despite her computer problems and is 11th just ahead of Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environnement) and both should pass Cape Horn tonight, they are at the front of a front and so should have good conditions but have a light winds band ahead of them
