While Sébastien Simon took the lead in the race this Tuesday, the gap he has over his two other competitors is tiny.
The pocket handkerchief in which the leaders of the 10th Vendée Globe are sailing in the South Pacific shrank sharply on Wednesday at the 07:00 clock (GMT+1), Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) maintaining a margin of a little more two nautical miles on Charlie Dalin (Macif Prévoyance Santé) and Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa).
“It’s good to wake up and realize that you are in the lead, first by receiving Whatsapp messages then by updating the map!”rejoiced the organization’s radio leader. “In any case it’s good for morale, it’s good to be on starboard tack (the wind comes from the right of the boat, editor’s note) also because there I have my foil and I can use 100% of my boat, I take great pleasure in it”he added in reference to the loss of his starboard foil.
The sea is tidy
Sébastien Simon
“The sea has calmed down well, as have the conditions, so the wind has just died down suddenly but it feels good when it stops a little!”added the skipper about the weather conditions in which he was operating.
By betting on a route slightly further north than his two main competitors, Simon benefited from an average of 21.53 knots over the last 24 hours, compared to just over 19 knots for his two pursuers. But Richomme was the fastest of the three at 07:00, with an instantaneous speed of 25.34 knots.
“I had wind from behind, I think, which allowed me to catch up with the first two, and then I think I have a tighter trajectory than my competitors, and I suspect them of having small sailing problems, having made such angular trajectories… we’ll see! I don’t think they communicate on that!”analyzed Sébastien Simon.
Further away, almost 600 miles from first, Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) took fourth place from Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB).
Ranking for the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. (GMT+1):
1. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) at 9.926, 81 nautical miles from the finish
2. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) 2.35 miles from the first
3. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) at 2.35 miles
4. Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) at 588.49 miles
5. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) at 595.69 miles
6. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) at 606.26 miles
7. Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V) at 738.73 miles
8. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) at 832.88 miles
9. Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer) at 893.40 miles
10. Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) at 901.91 miles
…
36. Denis van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group) at 5,600.75 milles
