Vendée Globe: the leading duo at the heart of the storm

Monday 20th January 2025 05:25 PM

Monday January 20This Monday at the beginning of the afternoon, the leading duo led by Jérémie Beyou is bearing the brunt of the stormy conditions which accompany the Garoe depression. The southwest wind blows at 40 knots with maximum gusts of 55 knots. The sea is rough with waves of around 8 meters coming from the west-northwest and crossing waves coming from the south-west. A real washing machine effect which puts the sailors to the test as they must at all costs preserve their mount and not break any equipment in this final part of the race.

For Paul Meilhat, located further south, the wind and sea conditions are rapidly deteriorating as they approach the depression. The wind increases to 35 knots with gusts of 45-50 knots. The sea becomes very rough and cross with waves of 5-6 meters.

Benjamin Dutreux has just left the ridge and is sailing in medium wind conditions with a northerly wind of around twenty knots. He is progressing close-hauled with a heading to the northeast. He escaped the heavy weather of the Garoe depression by sailing far enough behind.

Tuesday January 21For Jérémie Beyou as for Paul Meilhat, the objective will be to stay as long as possible ahead of the depression to benefit from a south-southwest downwind which should lose a little of its vigor as it approaches the low pressure center. The risk is that the depression will pass them by if they are slowed down too much by the very difficult sea conditions. Behind the depression, they would experience a sustained north-northeast wind which would come from the front of the boat and would strongly hinder their progress towards Cape Finisterre.

Benjamin Dutreux will sail far enough from the depression to avoid harsh conditions. It will operate in a northwest wind of around twenty knots which will allow it to progress reaching, at good speed, on a route a little further south than the most direct trajectory.

Wednesday January 22To keep a wind blowing ahead of the depression for as long as possible, Jérémie Beyou, Sam Goodchild and Paul Meilhat will have no other choice than to progress on a route far to the east which will take them towards the Iberian coast and Cape Finisterre. To reach the Bay of Biscay, the north-east wind will eventually pick up the sails with the movement of the depression towards the east. Weather conditions which will therefore remain complicated with tacking to be carried out in heavy seas.

Benjamin Dutreux will sail around Madeira under a northwest wind which will force him to pursue a trajectory very south of the great circle.Cyrille Duchesneexpert meteorologist La Chaîne Météo / METEO CONSULT Find the METEO CONSULT Marine analysis every day in our special report Vendée Globe.

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