« That's it! Cape Horn, it’s done, it’s checked off! “, exulted Thomas Ruyant, letting his joy burst forth in a whirlwind of emotions, delighted to have crossed the third and final major milestone of his world tour. “ This is the border with civilization. We have just crossed oceans where we are not really welcome. We certainly find something there. An albatross came to play with the boat. Maybe my last one for a long time. I surprised myself for the very first time by talking to my boat which held up well and didn't make me dirty. It must be the ocean that makes you go a little crazy! “, added the skipper of VULNERABLE, back in the Atlantic since 6:38 p.m. yesterday evening and since imitated by Jérémie Beyou then Nicolas Lunven, respectively at 5:16 a.m., then at 5:31 a.m. this Saturday. We understand that crossing Cape Horn, for the Vendée Globe skippers, is more than a simple checkpoint on a map: it is an event between the initiation rite and the neighborhood party, except that at the instead of fairy lights and friendly neighbors, you have furious winds and skyscraper-sized waves. After a month of sailing in the South Seas, this passage is a symbolic, almost mystical, door to a more merciful world. For many, it's like coming back from a long stay in a hellish roommate with moody weather. This piece of land, swept by winds as subtle as a shovel, is a deliverance as much as a celebration. Some sailors speak of a breath of hope, of a promise of returning to smoother waters. But there is also a pang in the heart. The South Seas, brutal and grandiose, leave an indelible imprint, a bit like a tattoo that you're not sure you want to get rid of. Thus, Cape Horn remains much more than a cape: it is a striking collision between raw adventure and a gradual return to humanity.
A feeling of estrangement at its peak
But be careful, crossing this southern tip of South America does not mean that the adventure is behind them. The long journey up the Atlantic is a completely different challenge, as strategic as it is grueling. Here, the danger no longer comes from monstrous waves or freezing temperatures, but from the subtleties of wind, unpredictable weather systems and tactical decisions that can make or break the race. No question, therefore, of letting down our guard or dreaming of the finish. Finding the best path, avoiding pitfalls: it's a bit like playing a game of Tetris where each cloud is a piece that can either save your day or put you in trouble. You have to be fast, precise and visionary, while remaining vigilant against fatigue, that stowaway that seriously begins to take up too much space at this stage of the race. “ It's been very intense since passing Cape Horn but morale is good. We are where we want to be », commented Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), currently in the process of circumventing a small depression to the north, at the latitude of Montevideo. “ For the moment, it's not going bad, apart from a few strong gusts that I'm catching because I'm arriving near the center of the system, but if all goes well, it should pass right in front of me. My goal is to optimize it as best as possible so that it pushes me as far north as possible. », Detailed the leader of the fleet. For the moment, he is well placed, taking advantage of the curvature of the depression, a configuration which escapes his main rival, Charlie Dalin, positioned further south. The opportunity for him to pack up? This is almost as sure as the sun rising in the East, but the task requires precision. “ The challenge – relatively big – is to reach the stationary cold front of Cape Frio quickly. You have to position yourself in relation to it and find a mouse hole to squeeze through. It's not that easy to do. So I spend a lot of time studying it. », underlined Yoann who will continue to line up the miles at high speed for another 24 hours before significantly slowing down the pace in a transition phase.
