The Vendée Globe is a theater of extreme contrasts. At the head of the race, the leaders trudge at full speed and pile up the miles at a breakneck pace. “ Currently, we have between 20 and 25 knots of wind downwind and this will generally be the case until Cape Horn. Once the boat is adjusted, it goes a little by itself. There's not much to think about, it's very simple », commented Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), recognizing that it has benefited from an “incredibly effective weather scenario” since its entry into the South Seas. For his adversaries behind, however, the situation is far from being so “easy”. Some bend their backs in the heart of the storm, facing furious waves and relentless wind. Others, prisoners of a treacherous anticyclone, struggle in a suffocating dead calm, and still others laboriously advance upwind, fighting against contrary winds which bite through the cold and put the machines to the test. “ For my part, I stop watching, listening and reading what the guys in front are saying. This is so opposite to what I experience! They slip while I struggle to move forward in heavy seas. We really are in totally different worlds and it's terribly annoying! », commented Eric Bellionthis Saturday, with this strange impression of progressing in a potato field while the leaders sprint on a tartan track.
When the ocean leads the dance
« What we've been doing since the beginning in the Indian Ocean is trying to find a mouse hole to slip through and get through without being bitten. It should be a bit the same in the Pacific. We will have to find the right paths, not necessarily the shortest, but the wisest and ultimately the quickest in the end. This requires patience », added the navigator who knows that in this type of situation, it is indeed better to philosophize than to curse, especially when the routings offer such particular trajectories that one could almost believe that they had blown a fuse along the way. As proof, some suggest going straight to the north of New Zealand. If it is possibly optimal on paper, in reality, a route further south will undoubtedly be favored by the small gang of the skipper of Stand as One – Altavia and his cronies. However, to plan for: a transition zone (in other words, soft) and upwind. In short, a sequence far from dazzling which could offer Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Global One) et Oliver Lord (Tut Gut.) the opportunity to move up the rankings as quickly as a cork on the surface. Same for Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com) who was already catapulted this morning like a cork – but of champagne – while he was in his bunk. “ I was sleeping deeply, for 20 or 30 minutes. Suddenly, the boat was on its side. I was thrown violently, like in a car accident. It took me a minute or two to realize what had happened. I took a good “fart” in my left shoulder. Fortunately, there was more fear than harm in the end,” recounted the adventurer, subtly brought back to the track by the Indian who reminded him that, sometimes, trouble can lead the way. Rhythm side, Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group) and Xu Jingkun (Singchain Team Haïku) are not to be outdone: their ball scene is shaken by a furious front, with gusts between 60 and 65 knots. Fortunately for them, this high-wire act in involuntary apnea should only last a few more hours, before the wind decides to let up by the end of the day.
Between fury and apathy
The contrast is obviously striking with the conditions currently encountered by the package led by Jean Le Cam (It all starts in Finistère – Armor-lux) and Isabelle Joschke (MACSF). Mired in a treacherous anticyclone, he is barely moving forward. For him, the dead calm turns into frustration. Does this mean that immobility, in these hostile latitudes, is almost as formidable as storms? We didn't venture there anyway, especially after chatting with Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environment – Water Family) during the session this morning, and repeatedly heard his boat rise then fall heavily, with a dull crash. “ Recently, I have finished with upwind, but not with waves! It hits hard and I have to adjust my pressure on the accelerator so as not to destroy the boat. The good news, even if the sea is still facing, is that I am heading South-East. After three days of struggling, it's good for morale to finally be heading in the right direction! », related the Sablais impatient to find, within 24-48 hours, downwind winds to run at full speed towards Cape Horn, and thus imitate the leaders, Charlie Dallin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Yoann Richommewhich have, moreover, slightly dropped Sébastien Simonobviously very handicapped by the loss of its starboard foil on the port tack. “ I'm not at all experiencing the same race as those in front who have never lined the sails to go upwind. Everyone lives their story and their Vendée Globe », added Benjamin Dutreux who, like his comrades, observes that in the South Seas, contrasts strike (sometimes) like salty slaps.
