The return, that's a word that our sailors like, who nevertheless seem to spend their lives wanting to leave. Except that some returns are more painful than others. We're not going to learn this from Romain Attanasio (Fortinet-Best Western, 15th), who has been grimacing for several days as he sees the implacable but irrefutable… return of the king taking shape!
Forced by a northerly wind, the skipper of Fortinet-Best Western has in fact had to take a route in recent days which has taken him through the Le Maire Strait, these sixteen short miles which separate the island from the States of the eastern tip of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego (we're not giving up on Trivial Pursuit, it's the home stretch), then the interior of the Falklands. A passage which also smiled more on his sidekick Damien Seguin (Groupe Apicil, 14th), who took the opportunity to take the advantage in their duel with drawn foils! “It was a bit annoying meteorologically, because I arrived in the Strait of Le Maire on the door at the cleat, and then there was a huge squall that came in, and then calm behind, and Damien came back… In short, I haven't had much luck meteorologically since Cape Horn, but like I have for a while now! I had a very good descent of the Atlantic, and then it went to shit!” Romain Attanasio from FORTINET – BEST WESTERN.“Jean, he is nice in life”And it will continue a little, since nothing seems to be able to stop the “comeback” of Jean Le Cam (Tout Commence en Finistère – Armor Lux, 16th), who has benefited, since his passage to the East of the Falklands, from a well-established North-West flow… it's the pompom on the sailor, for Romain! “The weather is nonsense! I'm giving up my apron! Afterwards it's King Jean, he has good karma, what do you want… I don't know him well, but I think that Jean, he is kind in life, he is hardworking, he is always at his construction site… he has everything to have the gods with him at sea! We just have to be better, but still, the weather is incredible! For us, it's not even upwind, it's tacking: facing the wind, tacking! For the moment, it's a bit of a terrible scenario, as Jean arrives with a crosswind… Normally we should meet again in two days to pass an anticyclonic bubble. There he has had a better angle for a month, we can’t do anything about that!” Romain Attanasio from FORTINET – BEST WESTERN. Fortunately, Romain Attanasio is not the type to ruminate, and already feels very happy to be in the Atlantic where, despite the upwind that should accompany the next 1000 miles, the temperature softens and conditions with it. A micro rest of the warrior after this great wild South, who was able to realize that he is not the only creature to appreciate a little respite: “What's funny is that the albatrosses that we see in the Deep South behind the boat without ever flapping their wings once, there they are like ducks floating in the water, it loses a little of its charm! Romain Attanasio from FORTINET – BEST WESTERN.
Photo sent from the Monnoyeur boat – DUO for a JOB during the Vendée Globe sailing race on January 5, 2024© Photo by skipper Benjamin Ferré / Vendée Globe
“It’s not because we’re at the back of the fleet that we don’t give as much! »An observation that Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 34th) completely shares, who is floundering in the calm in the middle of the Pacific, and would like to be able to count on the return… of the wind! “Unlike the Indian who was furious for me, the Pacific is much more, peaceful. Even maybe a little too much in the past 2-3 days! We had significant soft zones, and to reach the ZEA, I have to go through very very soft zones, that doesn't amuse me, but we have no choice! And what’s more, it’s upwind, in heavy seas, that doesn’t help moving forward!” Manuel Cousin, Coup de Pouce. However, the skipper of Coup de Pouce has an appetite, who could easily see himself eating his neighbor Fabrice Amédéo (Nexans – Wewise, 33rd), even if he recognizes that his presence at his side is more of a motivating type than a tiring one, especially to continue dreaming of a return to the comrades in front: “It’s a kick in the butt! We are in the race, even if unfortunately we are far away. We know that in the South Seas, 500 miles can be quickly regained or quickly lost. Sometimes it's long, mentally it's hard, I really didn't think I'd do a Vendée Globe like this. If I can scratch ahead I will, we all have the same state of mind, we stay positive, we do our best, we give everything we have… It's not because we're at the back of the fleet that we don't give as much of ourselves!” Manuel Cousin, Coup de Pouce.Back to the cranksAt all stages of the rocket, there is in fact the same furious desire to go back up. Full pot (of glue) for Yoann Richomme (PAPREC-ARKÉA, 2nd) who tried all night to put the turbo on to get back on Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance, 1st), slowed down by the start of the Doldrums still a bit random. The opportunity perhaps for the leader to hum Gilberd Bécaud's verse “Where are you? What are you doing? / At night I think of us / Count the days / Countdown”, while their distance from the goal now melts as quickly as a pat of butter at the equator.
With the niac also on the side of Jérémie Beyou (Charal, 4th), who regained a lot of ground during the night on Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE, 6th) and Paul Meilhat (Biotherm, 8th), who left in an option further east with Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB, 10th). Who will win in terms of strategy to make a comeback in the lead in the North Atlantic?
Finally, two other returns are also heartwarming today. That of Louis Burton's IMOCA (Bureau Vallée), arrived last night at its home port of Saint-Malo after a long journey from South Africa, where its sailor had to resign himself to abandoning. And then the return to sea of Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V), after his abandonment on December 30. Thanks to the hard work of his technical team, the title holder will indeed be able to resume his loop this morning, outside the race, of course, but all the same in good company, since he should take advantage of this to get back into the leading group by Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur, Duo For a Job, 20th). Because ultimately, what matters is the return, but as much as the path that leads there is as pleasant as possible! Find our race weather analysis with METEO CONSULT Marine in our special report Vendée Globe and follow the skippers live thanks to the cartography.
