By choosing a different trajectory from the rest of the fleet, the Breton Jean Le Cam, dean of the competition, took the lead in the provisional ranking of the Vendée Globe this Saturday, November 16.
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“We’ll see at the end of the fair… The situation isn’t easy ahead, it’s certain that I got a little too close to the Canaries!”
Jean Le Cam (Everything begins in Finistère – Armor-Lux), obviously made the right choice of trajectory during the 6th day of this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe. During the night from Friday to Saturday, he jumped from tenth place which he occupied at 7 p.m. to first on Saturday at 7 a.m.
At 65 years old, the dean of the competition chose after passing the island of Madeira, an option further east than the rest of the fleet.
Also read : Vendée Globe and quest for self: Jean Le Cam and Jean-Paul Rouve in the film La Vallée des fous
A fruitful trajectory, perhaps boosted by the new mascot he took on board his boat, a stuffed monkey offered by Jean-Paul Rouve.
As in the film, it’s Jean-Paul Rouve who speaks to Jean, his mascot, well Jean-Paul Rouve now, it’s me, in my boat, who speaks with Jean, the stuffed animal.
Competitor in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025
The sailor and the actor became friends after filming together in the Valley of Fools. Jean-Paul Rouve plays a father in disarray who embarks on a virtual Vendée Globe in his garden to try to save his life when Jean Le Cam plays his own role.
A stuffed animal which seems to amuse the skipper a lot, who says, hilariously, during a radio exchange on Friday November 15: “As in the film, it’s Jean-Paul Rouve who speaks to Jean, his mascot, well Jean-Paul Rouve, now, it’s me in my boat who speaks with Jean, the stuffed animal. I say to him “did you eat well this morning”, he answers me “yes, I ate well.” !“
At daybreak he was 28.30 miles ahead of the Italian Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian), the previous leader of the tenth edition of this solo journey around the world.
For a few hours, another Breton completed the provisional podium. Le Malouin Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur-Duo for a job) was then 38.47 miles from Le Cam.
Only Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) followed the skipper in the six Vendée Globes along the African coast, and was in 11th place on Saturday morning, 63.36 miles behind his elder.
He and “King John” took ground from the rest of the fleet which was stuck in the calm (windless zone) with their option further west. As a result, around thirty boats were grouped together in less than 100 miles at daybreak on Saturday.
“The challenge is to get out of this area quickly! It’s really soft, so I hope it will start soon, on our side compared to the others, not on the southeast side! It’s tight in the fleet, I have Thomas (Ruyant) who is playing not far away, I am side to side with Jérémie (Beyou) and Louis (Burton), Yoann (Richomme) is right next to us too, we are trying to ‘extirpate“, commented Charlie Dalin (Macif) on the organizers’ radio at the start of the night on Friday.
In the middle of the night, however, the boats heading west found a little wind while, according to the routing, Le Cam would in turn head towards calm…
The day promises to be better for the Breton fleet than that of the day before. This Friday, November 15, the Breton skipper, Maxime Sorel, abandoned the competition following a problem with his mainsail traveler and while his ankle had been swelling since the second day following a shock.
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