A group of ten skippers, and perhaps more in the coming hours, should take advantage of a depression on Sunday to set off at high speed towards the Cape of Good Hope, at the tip of South Africa.
France Télévisions – Sports Editorial
Published on 24/11/2024 09:17
Updated on 24/11/2024 09:22
Reading time: 2min
Like the day before, the leader snacks a little. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) slightly widened his lead at the top of the Vendée Globe 2024, Sunday November 24 at the 7 a.m. check-in, leading a group of ten sailors, including many favorites, which tends to expand. This group of ten, sailing exclusively aboard boats equipped with foils, should seize a depression between Brazil and the small archipelago of Trindade and Martin Vaz on Sunday and then head towards the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa).
Charlie Dalin, second in the previous edition, is 47 nautical miles (nm) ahead of Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable), and 61 nm over Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable), who recovered third place at the expense of Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa ). Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V), now sixth, passed just ahead of Jérémie Beyou (Charal), who is almost edge to edge with Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB). Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Coeur) took tenth place at the expense of Justine Mettraux (Teamwork-Team Sne7 f).
“There is this depression which is moving towards the south-east. We should succeed in taking it and surfing it. We should be able to follow it for quite a long time and take advantage of it. It's quite incredible to see that the trajectory sticks good for what we hoped to do”commented Charlie Dalin to AFP. If they manage to make the most of it, the leaders could return to the times of Armel Le Cléac'h in 2016-2017, who completed his world tour in the record time of 74 days.
The first Imocas that manage to reach this precious wind zone should further widen the gap with the rest of the fleet, which risks splitting into two distinct groups. “From the moment we find ourselves stuck in its north, we should make a nice diagonal route to reach the South Seas”rejoiced the title holder Yannick Bestaven, about the coming depression. “The existing gaps with Charlie will continue to increase”urges the 51-year-old sailor, who also hopes to take advantage of the windfall to clear his closest competitors.