Vendée Globe: Leader's patience tried & tested as Sam Davies profits from her southbound initiative
by Vendée Globe 26 Nov 2020 08:44 GMT
26 November 2020
Life is not getting any easier for Charlie Dalin, the Vendée Globe leader, as he is still struggling in light breezes as he tries to wriggle free from the sticky clutches of the Saint Helena high pressure which now spans most of the South Atlantic.
In the last 24 hours to 0400hrs UTC this morning Dalin on the yellow hulled Apivia had only made 130 nautical miles, averaging 5.4kts. In an area in which he might normally hope to be on a sleighride south averaging four times this speed, this will be frustrating. And according to the weather models this morning Dalin's patience is going to be tested for at least another 24-36 hours.
His lead over second placed Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), at 88 miles, and to Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!) at 350 miles behind, remains steady as both are mostly following his wake. That said the position of the veteran Le Cam, in the north and east, is looking vulnerable as evidenced by his slow speeds and many manoeuvres during the night.
But the group lead by Britain's Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) in ninth and Alex Thomson (HIGO BOSS) in eighth look set to make ongoing inroads as they are in downwind and reaching conditions on the west side of the high with a clear pathway in building breezes that should accelerate them south.
Davies in particular seems to have the timing of her trajectory just right and continues to gain with good breeze and a profitable angle south, unlike fourth placed Kevin Escoffier (PRB) who this time yesterday morning admitted he could not decide which way to go. His procrastination seems to have cost him as he is angled on a south westerly course this morning, sailing away from the theoretical best course to the south east.
Speaking this morning from ninth placed Arkea Paprec Sébastien Simon said " As soon as we get to the south of the high pressure area we'll have a good ride in the southern depressions which will take us far, perhaps as far as the Kerguelen Islands. Meantime we will have to stay focused so as not to miss this train. If we miss it, we will catch a high pressure system which leave us behind."
Simon is just one skipper among a few, no doubt, who are regretting being too conservative in their strategic choices, opting for a middle route between Davies and Burton who dived south in his west and Le Cam and Escoffier who are paying a price for their easterly choice. He noted, " Sam and Louis will pass in front of me but I hope I get on the train in front of group to my east. "
Isabelle Joschke the fastest
With an average speed of 16.6 knots overnight and a VMG of 8.6 knots, Isabelle Joschke (MACSF) in 15th, recorded the fleet's best performances of the night. Her 115.9 miles run allowed her to cut 20 to 30 miles from her deficit to Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group), 13th, and Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA - Water Family), 11th.
Armel Tripon (L'Occitane en Provence) took his penalty of four hours yesterday and so he has not yet really caught up again with his target group (Pip Hare, Manuel Cousin, Didac Costa). Clément Giraud (Compagnie du Lit - Jiliti) was the 28th of the 32 boats racing to enter the Southern Hemisphere last night. The three still in the Northern Hemisphere are Sébastien Destremau, Kojiro Shiraishi and Jérémie Beyou.
Rankings at 08H00 UTC:
Pos | Sail No | Skipper / Boat Name | DTF (nm) | DTL (nm) |
1 |
FRA 79 | Charlie Dalin
APIVIA | NM | 0 nm |
2 |
FRA 59 | Thomas Ruyant
LinkedOut | NM | NM |
3 |
FRA 01 | Jean Le Cam
Yes we Cam ! | NM | NM |
4 |
MON 10 | Boris Herrmann
Seaexplorer ‑ Yacht Club De Monaco | NM | NM |
5 |
FRA 85 | Kevin Escoffier
PRB | NM | NM |
6 |
FRA 17 | Yannick Bestaven
Maître Coq IV | NM | NM |
7 |
FRA 4 | Sébastien Simon
ARKEA PAPREC | NM | NM |
8 |
FRA 109 | Samantha Davies
Initiatives ‑ Coeur | NM | NM |
9 |
GBR 99 | Alex Thomson
HUGO BOSS | NM | NM |
10 |
FRA 18 | Louis Burton
Bureau Vallée 2 | NM | NM |
11 |
FRA 09 | Benjamin Dutreux
OMIA ‑ Water Family | NM | NM |
12 |
FRA 1000 | Damien Seguin
Groupe APICIL | NM | NM |
13 |
ITA 34 | Giancarlo Pedote
Prysmian Group | NM | NM |
14 |
FRA 53 | Maxime Sorel
V And B Mayenne | NM | NM |
15 |
FRA 27 | Isabelle Joschke
MACSF | NM | NM |
16 |
FRA 49 | Romain Attanasio
Pure ‑ Best Western Hotels and Resorts | NM | NM |
17 |
FRA 30 | Clarisse Cremer
Banque Populaire X | NM | NM |
18 |
SUI 7 | Alan Roura
La Fabrique | NM | NM |
19 |
FRA 92 | Stéphane Le Diraison
Time For Oceans | NM | NM |
20 |
FRA 14 | Arnaud Boissieres
La Mie Câline ‑ Artisans Artipôle | NM | NM |
21 |
ESP 33 | Didac Costa
One Planet One Ocean | NM | NM |
22 |
FRA 71 | Manuel Cousin
Groupe Sétin | NM | NM |
23 |
GBR 777 | Pip Hare
Medallia | NM | NM |
24 |
FRA 02 | Armel Tripon
L'Occitane en Provence | NM | NM |
25 |
FRA 56 | Fabrice Amedeo
Newrest ‑ Art et Fenetres | NM | NM |
26 |
FRA 72 | Alexia Barrier
TSE ‑ 4myplanet | NM | NM |
27 |
FRA 50 | Miranda Merron
Campagne de France | NM | NM |
28 |
FRA 83 | Clément Giraud
Compagnie du lit ‑ Jiliti | NM | NM |
29 |
FIN 222 | Ari Huusela
Stark | NM | NM |
30 |
FRA 69 | Sébastien Destremau
Merci | NM | NM |
31 |
JPN 11 | Kojiro Shiraishi
DMG MORI Global One | NM | NM |
32 |
FRA 8 | Jérémie Beyou
Charal | NM | NM |
RET |
FRA 6 | Nicolas Troussel
CORUM L'Épargne | | |
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