Less than 350 miles from Point Nemo, Charlie Dalin is doing what he has always done in this tenth Vendée Globe, showing a small margin and opening up a small margin as he crosses the Pacific at an average close to 25kts on MACIF Santé Prévoyance. Yesterday Dalin was side by side with Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) and now has more than 20 miles lead and 40 on Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil).
The electrifying pace of the last few days, with the three pushing each other harder and harder in good conditions, means they are now all ahead of the record time of Armel Le Cléac’h of 2016 and will most likely set a new record for the Pacific Ocean when they come out at Cape Horn, perhaps on Christmas Eve or so.
”There are still many things to do, nothing is prohibitive, even for those in the lead, I remember that four years ago they spent a lot of time stopped in Brazil!”
Yannick Bestaven
MASTER COCK V
The leaders have a 600 mile lead on the second group. But in terms of sailing the Vendée Globe on these modern IMOCA boats it’s really nothing. Consider that Yannick Bestaven in the last race he lost more than 500 miles compared to They come out when it became stranded off the South American coast. And consider that Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) e Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitaine en Provence) are now almost 600 miles from Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef), when a week ago they and Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) seemed to be attached with glue.
besten, winner of the 2020-21 regatta, he is demonstrating the same skills and determination that marked his success in the last edition. He has freed himself from the group he was in and is working hard to reach the second trio Nico Lunven (HOLCIM PRB), Jeremy Beyou (Charal) e Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) that are about 100 miles away, while Herrmann continually gains,
“My position in the fleet is quite happy, I’m not far from the first chasing group! And behind me I have another good group of chasers. There are still many things to do, nothing is prohibitive, even for those in the lead, I remember that four years ago I spent a lot of time stopped in Brazil! The important thing is to round Cape Horn as quickly as possible, in about nine days.” The skipper of Maître CoQ V said: “It’s going quite well, we’ve had quite difficult conditions in the last few days, but I’ve done quite well. Physically I’m in good shape, mentally everything is fine too, I can’t see time passing! On the other hand, I have no sense of time, it’s more the boat and the weather conditions that dictate the pace, the days pass quite quickly between the weather conditions, the adjustments, the small maintenance jobs. What do I look like after 5 weeks at sea? I don’t have a mirror! I think I have bad hair, a beard and saltiness!”.
”I took a little break from these things and I’m very happy. In fact, I was racing mainly with the front, there was an area of strong wind, I didn’t want it to reach me because gusts of 50 knots were expected, rough seas, and I absolutely wanted to avoid it, and the beauty of our foilers is that we can race with depressions and weather systems.”
Yannick Bestaven
MASTER COCK V
18 DECEMBER 2024: Photo sent by the boat Monnoyeur – DUO for a JOB during the Vendee Globe regatta on 18 December 2024. (Photo by skipper Benjamin Ferré)
In 30th place and approaching Cape Leeuwin is the Japanese Kojiro Shiraishiwho can’t wait to pass his country’s longitude, about 135 degrees west, and is in great shape:
Who reports: “We are almost at Cape Leeuwin, but for me it is more important to pass the longitude of Japan at 135 degrees and be halfway through the race. It’s the same thing for all of us, as soon as we are halfway the goal of arriving in France is closer and closer and the motivation increases more and more. It’s like that for me too. I try to see the positives.
And of course the age thing, well, I feel my age and tiredness. In 2020 I had just undergone heart surgery and this was also one of my weaknesses, but now I feel my age. But Manu, Denis and I are about the same age and Jean Le Cam is older than us and I’m so impressed with how he navigates, makes great tactical choices and his physical abilities are like Superman. But it is truly humbling to be able to compete in this Vendée Globe with all these renowned skippers. I think if I had been 30 or 40 years old with this boat I would have pushed it a lot harder and I would have wanted to do it. But that’s the harsh reality of the age I’m in at the moment.”
”The loneliness is starting to make itself felt! For the first time yesterday I felt a bit alone, I had never felt like this since leaving!”
Benjamin Ferre
MONNOYEUR – DUO FOR A JOB
In his third Vendée Globe, Kojiro he is now one of the oldest skippers in the race, at 57, the same age as Denis Van Weynbergh e Manu Cousinbut for the young rookie lion Benjamin Ferre it’s hard,
“The loneliness is starting to make itself felt! For the first time yesterday I felt a bit alone, I had never felt like this since the beginning! There was a little respite, I knew that the bad weather would return – it’s like this, I already have 25 knots as I speak to you – and I don’t know, I had a bit of light wind one afternoon, I tidied up the whole boat, cleaned everything, I turned on the heat. And I felt a little melancholy! But otherwise it was great! We are coming off an epic night with my friend Tanguy! The nights with him are still intense… It was crazy! We will remember this night December 16-17, 2024 for the rest of our lives! At high intensity, which resulted in the breaking of some longitudinals and a bulkheadit really looked like a speed test for crazy people in the bay of Lorient! Except that we decided to do it at 45 knots, with a 6 meter depression, along the ice patch south of Australia! We laughed about it later, but we weren’t being smart at the time, we were texting each other every hour telling each other we were all going to die! It was a nice trick, we were almost side by side and there was no one to pull the other up, which put us at 22 knots each, all night we were the fastest!”.
”But, he admits, “I’m starting to feel a real physical and psychological tiredness, deep, which marks the mind, marks the muscles, the Indian was really trying, and I’m happy to have had this last fiery night with Tanguy to say hello!”
“I am still as impressed by the geography of our route, to think that the day has just dawned and you are going to bed. We’ll pass Tasmania, early morning, everything that makes me travel! Right now we’re at 28 knots, see, it’s crazy, we’re still big idiots! Conditions are still so difficult, and things will only get worse.”
”I am still impressed by the geography of our route, to think that the day has just dawned and you are going to bed. We are about to cross Tasmania, early morning, everything that makes me travel! Right now we’re at 28 knots, see, it’s crazy, we’re still big crazy people! The conditions are still so difficult, they will only get worse.” !
Benjamin Ferre
MONNOYEUR – DUO FOR A JOB”…. more important for me is to pass the longitude of Japan at 135 degrees and be halfway through the race.”
Kojiro Shiraishi
DMG MORI Global One
19 DECEMBER 2024 : Photo sent by the MACIF boat Santé Prévoyance during the Vendee Globe regatta on 19 December 2024. (Photo by skipper Charlie Dalin)
TRACKER
www.vendeeglobe.org
On the cover photo 18 DECEMBER 2024: Photo sent by the L’Occitane en Provence boat during the Vendée Globe sailing route on 18 December 2024. (Photo by skipper Clarisse Crémer) Coucher de soleil
Text and photos from the official website – Translation #nauticareport
