This Sunday morning, at 7:43 a.m. Swiss time, Alan Roura (31 years old, Hublot) was the 17th sailor in the 2024 edition of the Vendée Globe, this solo round-the-world trip without stopovers or assistance, to cross Cape Horn.
And the Geneva skipper, who is sailing 3,687 miles behind French leader Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) is doing so in “Dantean conditions”, as the official race website relates. Who adds that there are “models at 30-35 knots of wind, 4 to 5 meters of sea” in this area located in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago on the southernmost point of South America . And specifies: “The Swiss is progressing slowly to preserve his boat as much as possible.” But deliverance is near: the organizers have assured that the wind should drop suddenly, once Cape Horn has passed.
His first pursuers, Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 18th) and Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian, 19th) preferred to slow down to let this big gust of wind pass. They will attempt to cross Cape Horn in the evening.
Alan Roura passes this legendary place one day after the 16th sailor of the adventure, the French veteran Jean Le Cam (Everything begins in Finistère – Armor-Lux), and eight days after Justine Mettraux (TeamWork – Team Snef) who had made on December 28 in 10th position.
The Genevoise is still firmly attached to this place. While she was sailing at a speed of 16.63 knots off the coast of Brazil after having made a small repair to her sail, she was 113 miles behind the 9th place finisher, the German Boris Herrmann (Malizia).
As for the third Swiss at sea, Zurich’s Oliver Heer (Tut Gut), he is 30th 6,361 miles from the race lead, some 2,700 miles from Cape Horn.
