Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 M600 LEADERBOARD

Vendée Globe Race Monday Update: Law of the Jungle

by Vendée Globe media 9 Dec 08:53 PST 9 December 2024
Yoann Richomme on PAPREC ARKÉA - 2024 Vendée Globe © Yoann Richomme #VG2024

And after the breakaway... the comeback. As is very often the case in the Southern Ocean, big breakaways caused by one weather system are rarely maintained on the Vendée Globe and today the tables have turned a little more in the favour of those immediately behind the top two skippers, leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil).

Whilst Dalin - who crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin this afternoon - has been slowed to around 12-15kts at times today, Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) and Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) - have been the fastest in the fleet and in the last 36 hours have seen their deficit to Dalin reduced by some 200 miles to a much more tenable 330 nautical miles this afternoon.

Leeuwin and the Lioness

The race leader crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin at 14:12:58hrs UTC, after 29d 02h 10min 58s of racing, thereby just missing out on Armel Le Cléac'h's 2016 record of 28d 20h 12m. Cape Leeuwin, the second of the course's three great Capes was named on December 7th 1801 after the Dutch ship Leeuwin (The Lioness) which sailed round Australia, rounding the Cape in March 1622.

But there is little respite in the big south, there are slender high pressure ridges of lighter airs but it seems the lows are relentless. "In theory, I was told that there were ridges to pass between each depression. I find that they are really short, really!"

"In theory, I was told that there were ridges to pass between each depression. I find that they are really short, really!", joked charismatic race rookie Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur - Duo for a job), this morning during the official session, adding that he feels the systems are playing a game of Pac-Man with him, the game where a character in the shape of a yellow circle with a mouth swallows pac-gums.

"We're all in single file and we're all getting eaten one after the other," laughed the adventurer turned sailor who has slanted north his route for the past two days to avoid being eaten too quickly.

A learning experience for the baby lions

"The depression we hit south of South Africa calmed us all down, us little Vendée Globe rookies. We wanted to take the shortest route, follow the great circle, but we got hit with 50 knots. Tanguy (Le Turquais) broke his battens, Violette (Dorange) had a scare and I filled the boat with a wave. Since then, we've all gotten back in line!" commented Ferré "In this Vendée Globe, we're all a bit different jungle animals. In the group, Jean (Le Cam) is the elephant. He has an ancestral memory and therefore, intuitively, he knows how to avoid dangers. We are the young, fiery ones the young Lions and we learn as the race progresses."

Learning by doing...

And lion-hearted Brit Pip Hare seems to be truly in her element, pulling back many miles on 15th placed Romain Attanasio (FORTINET BEST WESTERN). She enthused, "It has been a pretty mental night out here. I have a 35 knot average windspeed, I have up to 38-39kts in the gusts, the sea state is 4-4.5m waves. I am quite pleased though as Medallia is going well, it is a big learning process for me, how do you learn to regulate these boats in conditions like this? You can't train here! I am learning a lot, a lot about using the foils, how much to use the foils, so I am feeling my way a bit, and maybe getting a little braver each time, so I am getting a lot of pleasure here, it is all going in the knowledge bank. It is exciting and I am excited to be catching up Romain again, it is great for me. It is just full on! I can't describe it. The noise, the G Force, the intensity, the your brain is working all the time. Trying to do anything at all takes major planning. It is one of the most intense tests you can put a human being through. And we are racing! It is nuts. But Pip is good!"

For the hunters like Ruyant who has been advancing fast with Richomme in 35-40 knots of wind and big seas it is truly relentless,"Since yesterday evening, the conditions have been very hard. You have to be on top of it. The head of the fleet has taken a bit of a lead. You mustn't lose the rhythm. When there is an opportunity or something to take, you have to be there."

And they, especially are up against it. Tomorrow evening, a ridge of high pressure might cut them off and allow Charlie Dalin, and perhaps Sébastien Simon too, to really extend away once again. To be continued...

Find out more...

Related Articles

The Johnson 70 Hull No. 2
A custom-built yacht on her way to Canada The owner eagerly anticipates receiving this New Year's gift. This marks the first Johnson yacht to reach Canada, and we look forward to seeing more of our yachts in Canadian waters. Posted on 21 Dec
Meet the Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran
Embark on a new era of sophistication Prepare for an elevated yachting experience with the Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran. Say hello to the future of exploration as we introduce an all-new "Explorer" aesthetic, with a commanding high freeboard that sets it apart from the rest. Posted on 21 Dec
Custom Line 50
The brand's first 50-metre full-aluminium superyacht Custom Line 50, the first 50-metre superyacht built entirely from aluminium, is the new displacement flagship and makes her debut in the metal yachts segment under 500 GT. Posted on 19 Dec
Coupe Power Catamarans
Meet the all-new Aquila 42 and 46 Coupe Who said you can't have it all? Meet the all-new Aquila 42 and 46 Coupe Power Catamarans — quiet sophistication and roaring performance that will open new horizons for travel, exploration and fun! Posted on 17 Dec
"Sober Skipper™ Why It Matters" video series
Featuring a diverse group of boating influencers The Sea Tow Foundation™, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting boating safety, is excited to launch its new video series titled "Sober Skipper™: Why It Matters." Posted on 14 Dec
Oceanco Kairos 80 - Design by Pininfarina
One of the new exterior designs added to Oceanco's Simply Custom collection Delivering an unprecedented variety of choice from a single technical base, owners can now take inspiration from a total of 27 Simply Custom yacht designs penned by top-tier studios from around the world. Posted on 14 Dec
Freedom Boat Club teams up with Savvy Navvy
One of the Club's largest franchise groups in the US loves this navigation app Freedom Boat Club Delaware, part of one of the largest boat club communities in the US, has teamed up with Savvy Navvy to bring easier and safer navigation to more boaters. Here they reflect on how it has helped their boat club members. Posted on 13 Dec
Bennington new M-Series
Bringing an elevated experience to the mid-range pontoon segment Bennington, North America's leading manufacturer of luxury pontoon boats, brings unprecedented luxury and an elevated experience to the mid-range pontoon segment with the launch of the M Series. Posted on 12 Dec
New Extra X106 Fast project
A streamlined look thanks to the superstructure being shifted towards the bow EXTRA Yachts presents the new X106 FAST project, a concentration of power and volume to provide guests with a comfortable experience on board and great performance. Posted on 11 Dec
Heesen's Project Orion
Ready for stellar adventures on the high seas in Spring 2025 Heesen is pleased to announce the launch of YN 20750, code-named Project Orion, at the Oss shipyard on December 6th. This 50-metre all-aluminium hybrid yacht exemplifies Dutch craftmanship, precision engineering and meticulous construction. Posted on 11 Dec
Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service StayMaritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER