Leader almost throughout, Charlie Dalin was the first to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe, Tuesday January 14, in a fantastic time of 64 days.
Skipper Macif erases by more than nine days the reference time of Armel Le Cléac’h, who then took 74 days to complete his world tour in 2017.
For TF1info, “the Jackal”, a handsome player, analyzes this historic performance, which he believes will be further improved in the years to come.
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Vendée Globe, the incredible human adventure
He expected his record to fall, but not to the point where it was shattered. Holder since 2017 of the reference time in the Vendée Globe, in 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds, Armel Le Cléac’h was dethroned by Charlie Dalin. Skipper Macif, first to cross the finish line, Tuesday January 14, at first light off the coast of Les Sables-d’Olonne, reduced the “Chacal” record by more than nine days. Yes, you read that correctly. The 40-year-old Le Havre, unfortunate second in 2021, established a new mark in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds.
A giant step forward in the field of ocean racing that Armel Le Cléac’h, winner in 2017 and two other times on the podium of the most prestigious ocean regatta, has followed from the ground. Astounded by the performance of the man he hatched in 2007 at the Pôle Finistère in Port-la-Forêt, where the navigators of tomorrow are trained, he agreed to scrutinize this amazing time for TF1info.
We knew the record was going to be broken, but not by such a margin
Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe
You announced it before the start, it is now a done deal: your record has fallen. Charlie Dalin has just won the Vendée Globe in 64 days, almost ten less than your reference time. How is this possible?
We suspected that the record was going to be broken. He had been holding on for eight years already. In 2021, it was a bit of a special edition with Covid. The abortive preparation had prevented the new boats from being properly exploited. The weather had not been good either. Unsurprisingly, the race time had not been very fast (80 days). There, finally, we find a logic of what we experienced in previous editions, where each time we beat the record by 4-5 days, or even by 7 as in 2012.
Afterwards, you should know that the performance of the boats no longer has anything to do with those we had in 2017. They manage to cover more than 600 miles (around 1000 kilometers, editor’s note) in 24 hours, with peaks of 30 knots (55 km/h). The first two benefited from weather that favored them in sections, notably the South Atlantic, the Pacific and the rise of the Atlantic. Their pursuers did not inherit the same conditions. We see it with the Goodchild-Beyou peloton, which is almost ten days late, which is enormous. I thought we were going to go under 70 days, but not lower. There we reach 64 days, there was an alignment of the planets so that he was beaten by such a margin. Congratulations to Charlie and Yoann for these racing times.
Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme pulled out all the stops until the end. Did that help the record?
Duels pull you upwards. You cannot rest on your lead, control or take your foot off the gas. Both pushed each other. It forced them to be 100%. I experienced this in 2017, with Alex Thomson. He was coming back at me and I had to stay focused. When hunting or being hunted, you cannot afford to wait to change a sail or do a maneuver more slowly. Every minute lost can count. Charlie was under a lot of pressure during the journey up the Atlantic, he held his own against Yoann. There is physical and psychological fatigue that he will feel in the coming days.
The record can still be improved by 2-3 days
Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe
Jean Le Cam joked that the new reference time will last 20 years, “unless we put reactors in Imoca”. On the contrary, do you believe that it will be possible to lower this bar again by 2028?
Yes, the record can still fall. There are some sections where you can go a little faster. Particularly that of the North Atlantic which was very slow on the outward journey. The leaders passed two days behind the best time. Is the limit 60 days, 61, 62 or 63? Hard to say. I think we have not yet reached the insurmountable bar. The record can still be improved by 2-3 days, without much problem. As long as the planets are aligned. The weather should be good on each section.
It is, however, possible that we will begin to reach a certain glass ceiling, a bit like is the case with multihulls today in the Jules-Verne Trophy. We have this famous 40-day barrier that is difficult to cross. Several of us have been attempting this challenge for years. We feel that after a while the weather and the size of the boats mean that we reach a limit, even if technology has progressed.
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We could see the leaders, equipped with foils, racing at more than 30 knots in the Southern Seas. Crazy speeds that make you break out in a cold sweat. Aren’t we putting skippers in danger by always wanting to go faster?
With increasing speed, the risks on board increase tenfold. This is part of the new issues that we integrate with the doctors who follow us, issues that we must manage. This is why we wear helmets and other body protection when things get beat a little too hard. Afterwards, apart from the strong depression of Kerguelen where he was in front, Charlie did not have to brave extreme conditions. Less in any case than some sailors behind him.
The advantage when you go very quickly is that you can place yourself on the board and spend less time where you are in difficulty. Going fast has to be earned because it requires great control on board. You have to know how to play with weather phenomena, get ahead, stay fast and hold on before the sea deteriorates and turns into a pothole. There were not many of them at the start who were able to do it, there were two or three who managed to do it to the end.
