As Charlie Dalin passed Cape Leeuwin this Monday, the gap with his pursuers is narrowing.
Charlie Dalin, leader of the Vendée Globe for a week, passed Cape Leeuwin on Monday afternoon, the gateway to the Pacific Ocean, but his pursuers continue to gradually close their gap. The Norman skipper was the slowest in the fleet over the last 24 hours, underlines the organization.
So much so that, despite the breakage of his starboard foil this weekend, his runner-up Sébastien Simon (Dubreuil group) continues to nibble ground, and was 157.58 miles from the leading navigator at 7:00 p.m., or some 20 miles less than this morning. But he is not the only one to reduce the gap since Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), 3rd and fastest over the last 24 hours, and Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable), 4th, both came back to less than 500 mins .
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“Its strong nag, there are 35-40 knots very regular. It’s also annoying because I’m trying to head south to avoid gybes a little later, trying to slide with this strong wind towards the ice zone, it’s bringing me closer to the front.”welcomed Yoann Richomme. “Since last night, the conditions have been very good. You have to be on it. The head of the fleet has taken a little lead. We must not lose the rhythm. When there is an opportunity or something to be taken, you have to be there”commented Thomas Ruyant. Behind, the entire top 10 gained a few tens of nautical miles on Dalin.
But one «dorsal»a transition zone between two windy low pressure systems, could once again cause “the effect of a barrier” between Dalin, or even Simon, and the rest of the fleet which could lose ground again, the organization anticipates. At this time, 37 skippers are sailing in the Indian Ocean. Only the Hungarian Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe), 38th and last, is still in the Atlantic.
Louis Burton, the second skipper to abandon after Maxime Sorel, reached the port of Cape Town (South Africa) on Sunday morning. “Once the necessary repairs have been carried out, the sailor and his team will ferry the boat to Saint-Malo”indicated the organizers. This Monday marks the end of the first month of racing for the 38 sailors still on the water in this 10th edition, who left Les Sables d’Olonne on November 10 for their journey around the world.
Ranking for the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe Monday at 7:00 p.m. (GMT+1):
1. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) 13,359.26 nautical miles from the finish
2. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) 157.58 miles from the leader
3. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) at 328.50 mins
4. Thomas Rettant (Vulnerable) at 477.54 mins
5. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) at 784.94 mins
6. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) at 794.22 mins
7. Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) at 845.73 mins
8. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) at 878.21 mins
9. Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V) at 923.10 minutes
10. Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer) at 1,212.01 mins
…
38. Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe) à 5,552.09 mn
Abandons: Maxime Sorel (V and B-Monbana-Mayenne), Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée)