Navigator Yannick Bestaven, defending champion of the Vendée Globe, resumed his journey towards the finish in Les Sables-d'Olonne on Monday outside the race, after having made a stopover for a few days in Argentina to repair his sailboat, his team announced.
“I said it was my last solo race, so being able to bring Maître Coq aux Sables solo would allow me to finish on a happy note,” explained the 52-year-old skipper in a voice message sent to the media.
While sailing in 11th position in the famous race around the world, the Rochelais made the decision on December 30 to stop in Ushuaïa due to multiple damages on board, which were impossible to repair alone.
Joined by part of its technical team, Bestaven spent six days restoring damage to its hull, keel, steering system, sail and foil. “Yannick will be able to leave with a fully operational boat,” rejoiced Jean-Marie Dauris, the team’s technical director, on site.
The sailor hoped to cross the finish line before the end of January, after sailing up the Atlantic alongside other sailors, like Tanguy Le Turquais or Arnaud Boissières, still in the race but slower than him before his elimination stop.
“I can’t wait to get back to sea and complete the circle. There’s going to be a lot of strategy to go up the Atlantic, I can’t wait to get back to these conditions,” said Bestaven.
Winner of a breathtaking 2020-2021 edition in 80 days 3 hours 44 minutes and 46 seconds, he announced before this new world tour, his 4th participation in the Everest of the seas, that it would be his last race alone.
The two current leaders of the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme, separated by less than 80 miles on Monday at 11:00 a.m., have crossed the equator and are expected between January 14 and 16 in Les Sables-d'Olonne.
