During a round-the-world sailing trip, everything changes at dizzying speed, and sailors find themselves in the heart of a journey where the only constant is adaptation. The days lengthen or shorten depending on the latitudes, modifying the natural rhythm and requiring permanent reorganization. The temperatures switch between extremes: we go from the icy bites of the Deep South to the crushing heat of the tropics in the space of a few days. Weather conditions, always unpredictable, add an additional layer of complexity. Howling winds and raging seas suddenly give way to stifling dead calms, forcing sailors to a constant balance between patience and responsiveness. This frenetic pace of change is as fascinating as it is demanding. It forces each skipper to draw on their mental and physical reserves, while offering magical moments, such as a sunrise in the polar cold or a starry night under a tropical sky. Managing these transitions means juggling wonder and concentration.Navigating between extremes“Every day, everything changes: solar time evolves with the time difference, and temperatures vary constantly. The further north you go, the hotter it gets, and as you approach the equator, the heat becomes downright overwhelming. Then, upon entering the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is reversed. It's fascinating, because these changes are really felt on a daily basis, and it surprises me every time. It's not like on a plane, where you go from -10°C to 40°C in a few hours. Everything here is progressive, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. It’s magical to be able to observe these transformations,” commented Louis Duc (Five Group – Lantana Environnement) who shared his impressions after crossing the famous Cape Frio cold front. From now on, it is preparing to enter a ridge which slows its progress, with very light winds expected from this evening. “The whole challenge will be to choose the right moment between the rotation and the pressure of the wind: at this place, that's always the debate,” explained the Norman, evoking the famous gull wing, this curved trajectory that the sailors follow to bypass a windless zone, such as, in this case, the Saint Helena high.An open-air life“It’s quite incredible to see how quickly things change. I was cold, then suddenly I was in a t-shirt, and soon after, I was really hot. I have to say that it's a “rich man's problem”: it's so heavy that I can't sleep. Despite everything, it’s a comfort,” assured Isabelle Josckhe (MACSF). “We go from one extreme to the other. Moderate temperatures don't even last a week on the entire world tour Yesterday, the thermometer on board reached 34° inside the boat, but I must admit that finding heat again after the South Seas is does good. When it becomes tiring, I put things into perspective by remembering the long days spent with closed doors in the freezing cold of the Deep South. Now it's warm, I can sail with the door open and the light on. It’s a whole different life though! », related Giancarlo Pedote, then joined by Arnaud Boissières:
“Honestly, going from cold to warm is pretty nice. On the other hand, the opposite is much less so. For now, the conditions are really ideal, and I'm taking the time to savor them. I take long moments on the deck, coffee in hand, to admire the spectacle. After all, I'm racing the Vendée Globe, an adventure that only happens every four years, and it's an incredible privilege to be at sea.” Arnaud Boissières, THE CUDDLE CUB.Every thousand a battleMeanwhile, at the front of the fleet, sailors sailing the North Atlantic face very different conditions. Where the skippers of Prysmian, Mie Câline and a handful of others are still enjoying the gentle trade winds and pleasant temperatures, the solo sailors furthest forward in the fleet are facing a particularly strong depression. Under winds blowing up to 55 knots and chaotic seas, their navigation is anything but comfortable. “There are mountains of waves. It would almost be better at night, at least we wouldn't see them! We try to control the boat so that it doesn't go too quickly into the surf, otherwise it could end up very badly at the bottom. It's really hot. I think, or at least hope, that I'm in the worst part of the depression. If it gets any stronger, it could get really complicated. The material has to hold,” commented Jérémie Beyou, grimacing and even letting out “oh damn” or “oh there” with each impact of his IMOCA against the giant rollers. Its goal, in these extreme conditions where each mile covered is a delicate balancing act between speed and preservation of equipment, is to target the heart of the system and then recover more favorable winds towards the finish. The problem? The last few miles are nevertheless likely to be tricky, particularly around Cape Finisterre, where close-range conditions could complicate navigation. This explains why the arrival estimates (ETA) have been slightly revised: the group led by the skipper of Charal is now expected no longer on Wednesday evening, but rather on Thursday morning.Adaptability, the key to around the worldThese contrasts between the gentleness of the trade winds for some and the rampages of the North Atlantic for others perfectly illustrate the reality of the ordeal. Every sailor, wherever they are on the planet, must deal with unique challenges, dictated by the vagaries of the weather and the wear and tear of their boat. In this race where nothing is ever acquired, each mile traveled becomes a victory. Faced with unpredictable elements, mechanical glitches and fatigue, adaptability and resilience are essential qualities to hope to cross the finish line. And it is this intensity, between technical prowess and human exploits, which makes the Vendée Globe so great.
Find our daily weather analysis of the race with METEO CONSULT Marine in our special report Vendée Globe.And for all the marine weather forecasts from METEO CONSULT, go to ici.
