In this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, around ten skippers sailing near the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ) are confronted with drifting icebergs, outside the exclusion zone. A tense situation which disrupts the race.
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” Ah p*****, there’s an iceberg! There's an iceberg in my side there. Oh my, that’s scary! “It's a somewhat unusual start to 2025 for skipper Sébastien Marsset (Foussier), 22nd in the ranking. A handful of nautical miles away from him, a drifting iceberg rears its head. In a video, the skipper shows the piece of ice as well as his fear of seeing it get too close.
A few hours earlier, in another video, the sailor explained that he was “maximum alertness“. On the screen it shows “blue boats“which have appeared and are nothing more than drifting icebergs.” First day of the year 2025, and today there is something newhe jokes. For me, this is honestly something new! “. Maximum alert which involves continuous monitoring using a thermal camera and scheduled alarms.
As for Eric Bellion (Stand As One – Altavia), 23rd in the ranking, this is also the case. Drifting icebergs have been detected and the skipper is doing everything to avoid them, even if it means putting the race on hold. An impressive situation for the navigator, who even crossed paths with one of these immense masses of floating ice. An event in the Vendée Globe that has not happened since 2008.” I admire our pioneers, on the first world tours they went there, it took a good dose of courage and certainly a little unconsciousness too, respect to them, he confides in one of his videos. Already on a daily basis, it's muscular so if you add the spice of ice cream…”
In total, around ten skippers, between 20th and 30th place, are confronted with these drifting icebergs. Pieces of ice floes, taken out of the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ), set up by the race management, in order to protect the participants. An area monitored daily by satellites.
Skipper Eric Bellion also crossed paths with this immense mass of ice.
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© ERIC BELLION / ALEA
With these huge masses of ice out of this protection zone, the race direction is also very vigilant about the situation. Reports or ” ice reports” are regularly transmitted to the boats concerned and their skippers. ” When there is a case like this, it inevitably becomes a priority in the office, explains Fabien Delahaye, assistant race director. We created a restricted group of discussions with these nine sailors who were concerned, in this case over the last two days.”
If the ZEA, for its part, could have been modified before the passage of the first boats, this is no longer the case. And this for reasons of sporting fairness. ” The main reason is that everyone has to follow the same route, reminds the head of race management. To depart from the moment we change the ZEA, that means we can lengthen or shorten the route. And therefore, it is no longer the same route for the other competitors.”
The sailors concerned, for their part, will have to continue to be vigilant for the slightest iceberg on the horizon.
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