Vendée Globe: Charlie Dalin increases his lead at the head of the race

That's what we call being at the party. After regaining the lead of the Vendée Globe on Monday December 30, Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) took advantage of the transition to the new year to outdistance Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa). After almost 52 days of racing, this Wednesday 1^is January, the native of Le Havre was 62.9 miles (116.5 km) ahead of his pursuer at the 11 a.m. clock. Third, after reducing his delay the previous two days, Sébastien Simon (Dubreuil Group), stuck in a sea of ​​oil, lost ground again, lying 376 miles (696 km) behind the leader.

After crossing an area of ​​flat calm, the Dalin-Richomme duo found wind of around fifteen knots and it was the first, further north, who benefited from it before their pursuer. The two sailors, who are northeast of Rio de Janeiro, chose to take a route further off the Brazilian coast than Sébastien Simon.

Only ten boats have crossed Cape Horn

In fourth position, further south, 1,407 miles (2,605 km) from the race lead, off the coast of Buenos Aires, Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) retains a solid mattress on the 5th, Paul Meilhat (Biotherm), 237 miles (438 km).

Behind a pack of five skippers of the 6^e at 10^e position (Nicolas Lunven Holcim – PRB ; Jeremy Beyou Charal ; Sam Goodchild Vulnerable ; Boris Hermann Malizia – Seaexplorer and Justine Mettraux Teamwork – Team SNEF) is held in just 96 miles (177 km).

For the latter, navigation is not a cakewalk in this new year. In their journey up the Atlantic, off the coast of Argentina, this group is not spared. “ The conditions are difficult, there I have 28 knots of wind upwind, and the seas are very short, explained Jérémie Beyou (7th) this morning. It's shaking a lot, we're looking for our way between this stormy depression which is arriving in our West and this anticyclone which is in our East. Between the two there is a northerly flow, between 25 and 30 knots, on the other hand in stormy minimums like that, it's a bit nonsense, there are big storms that I try to avoid. »

The rest of the fleet is still in the Pacific Ocean but three boats, which stand in 13 miles (Clarisse Crémer L’Occitane in Provence 11th; Benjamin Dutreux Guyot Environment – ​​Water Family12e et Samantha Davies Iinitiatives-Heart 13th), are approaching Cape Horn.

This small group should double this last crossing mark in the Deep South, after the Capes of Good Hope (South Africa) and Leeuwin (Australia), during the day. For once, the conditions should be mild with around ten knots of wind (less than 20 km/h).