As of this Thursday evening, the skipper of Macif Santé Prévoyance has a very short lead over his pursuer.
Charlie Dalin is still leading the Vendée Globe in Thursday’s standings at 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT) but his lead over his immediate pursuers has melted as he approaches the Cape of Good Hope.
The skipper of Macif Santé Prévoyance only had a margin of 18.67 miles over his runner-up, Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable), who passed Sébastien Simon on Thursday, 3rd, 22.57 miles behind the leader.
Passing the Cape of Good Hope, the gateway to the Indian Ocean, is only a matter of hours for the top six, who are still less than a hundred miles away and should pass it on Friday after -noon.
«Entering the South Seas is no small thing. I still don’t really realize it, it happened so quickly. There, we’re approaching the roaring 40th, and I’m having a little trouble realizing it. We’re going to have a good month in there“, explained Charlie Dalin. “II was sailing in shorts and shirtless, and now I’m adding layers, the top, then the bottom, and I’ve been wearing fleece since Wednesday“, he added.
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The top 6 flies away
Behind the group of six, the gap is made: Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable), the 7th, is almost 200 miles from the first; Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Cœur), 10th, more than 600 miles away. “The foilers are untouchable, the speeds are crazy and the gaps are crazy. It’s a Vendée Globe for foilers and for foilers», declared in a radio update Thursday evening Romain Atanasio (Fortinet – Best Western), 15th more than 1,000 miles away.
Foils are these appendages fixed under the hull, allowing sailboats to “fly” and gain speed. “Even when I’m in the same system (weather) as them, I can’t go as fast as them. I have small foils so I know that I fish a little in speed“, continued Atanasio.
In addition, the leaders of the fleet continued to stay ahead of the depression which pushed them towards the east from the Brazilian coast, while their pursuers were gradually let go by this system and had to deal with winds. weaker and more unstable.
Consequence: the gaps will probably widen further between the first six and the rest of the fleet. Atanasio therefore only plans to pass the Cape of Good Hope in the middle of next week, several days after the leading group.
Vendée Globe rankings Thursday at 7:00 p.m. (GMT+1):
1. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) 17,771.16 nautical miles from the finish
2. Thomas Rettant (Vulnerable) at 18.67 miles
3. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) 22.57 miles from the leader
4. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) at 38.03 miles
5. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) at 88.45 miles
6. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) at 91.38 miles
7. Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) at 187.15 miles
8. Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V) at 286.23 miles
9. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) at 369.63 miles
10. Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Cœur) at 628.98 miles
…
39. Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe) à 23,150.88 milles
Abandon: Maxime Sorel (V and B-Monbana-Mayenne)
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