“There are two Vendée Globes” believes Fabrice Amedeo, who has just passed Cape Horn in penultimate position

The French skipper, who is taking scientific samples throughout his round-the-world trip, still has a good third of the race to go.

“Everyone asks me if it’s not too difficult but Charlie Dalin, Yoann Richomme and Sébastien Simon, it’s another dimension, it’s not the same Vendée Globe!” For Fabrice Amedeo, skipper of the Imoca Nexans-Wewise, the objective for this 10th edition of the most famous world tour at sea is elsewhere. The former journalist, engaged on a voluntary basis, is competing in the race with the aim of collecting as much information as possible for science. He assured franceinfo: sport that “his adventure was going well” despite a very complicated passage in the Indian Ocean and a very slow crossing of the Pacific.

“The trio knocked out the fleet, but not too much for me because I had no desire to fight with them”he wants to remind us. “On the other hand, the entire group of Jérémie Beyou [4e, à 209 milles nautiques de l’arrivée au dernier pointage]they must have taken quite a blow to the head! From the Indian, because it played out there. I look at all this with interest but it does not affect the way I sail.” And for him, beyond the breathtaking duel at the head of the race, and Charlie Dalin's victory, it is the resilience and determination of the third skipper to arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne which particularly impressed him.

“We talk a lot about Charlie's victory and the fight with Yoann, but I prefer to emphasize the performance of Sébastien, who did half a trip around the world with just one foil.”

Fabrice Amedeo, current 33rd in the Vendée Globe

at franceinfo: sport

For those who loudly denounce the silence around racing collisions with whales, it is now a question of arriving at the port, within several weeks. “Even if I get smashed again, that will change quickly and when we head north, we’re heading home, so morale is good”rejoices Fabrice Amedeo.

As it appears in the rise of the Atlantic Ocean from the extreme south of the Americas, and as it plans to release its last two scientific beacons (which measure the direction of the current and waves), on Friday, it must still go a good third of the race. That's a little more than 6,900 nautical miles (approximately 12,779 km).