The skipper of the Dubreuil Group was awakened in the night and noticed damage to his starboard foil, which could cause him to lose speed and leave the way clear for the current leader Charlie Dalin.
France Télévisions – Sports Editorial
Published on 08/12/2024 17:15
Reading time: 1min
Improving weather conditions, a gap to close on Charlie Dalin… but ultimately Sébastien Simon was the victim of damage (Groupe Dubreuil). The skipper, currently second in the Vendée Globe ranking, noticed that his starboard foil was broken on Saturday, December 7, while sailing between the Kerguelen Islands and the south of Australia.
This appendage, fixed to the hull, submerged and similar to a wing, allows the boat to rise to reduce the contact surface with the water, and thus reach greater speeds. Sébastien Simon could thus be slowed down and see Charlie Dalin (Macif) move away a little further.
“I was sleeping, it woke me up. I went into the cockpit to right the boat, I very quickly felt that something was wrong because it no longer responded the same waysays the skipper. The foil is broken at the elbow, the most curved part. Did I type something small? I have no idea.” Here is his boat now a little handicapped. “Fortunately, the journey up the Atlantic is done on starboard tack [quand le vent vient de tribord et que le bateau s’appuie sur le foil bâbord] and that the other foil is intact. This means that on the port tack I will lose around 30% of speed. he explains, “so disappointed”.
Sébastien Simon had regained a few nautical miles on leader Charlie Dalin and is now 252.5 miles apart. Their pursuers are further behind: 515.4 miles for Yoann Richomme (Paprec-Arkea) and 613.1 miles for Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable).
