Vendee leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) has slowed slightly as he starts the passage along the Australian safety barrier now in a more moderate breeze.
He still has just under 500 miles to Australia’s Cape Leeuwin. He will need to put in numerous gybes as in the WNW’ly wind he is all but downwind and the breeze looks more likely to lift him as he goes.
In second place Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) has had the most punishing regime forced upon him by the AEZ, the exclusion zone, to his south.
The skipper from Les Sables d’Olonne has linked together seven gybes one after the other, each representing 40 minutes of strength and stamina sapping effort in moderate conditions, but in 27-30kts and big seas, this has been a truly Herculean effort by Simon.
Dalin’s lead – 272nm – is steady over second placed Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) whilst Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) – 545nm – and Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) have a good angle on their SE’ly track and see their deficit to Charlie steadied.
Behind them Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) – 966nm – has dropped back to 7th, but dead level with Charal’s Jérémie Beyou who is much further north and now looks like he will lay the corner of the Australian exclusion zone on this gybe.
Samantha Davis is 12th – 1351nm off the leader – Davies reported overnight, “It is freezing here in the night, 6 degrees Celsius in the cockpit, the water is 5 degrees, all is good and we are just approaching the plateau to the north of the Kerguelen Islands. We have just had the one big depression which was a little less intense for us than the leaders, it all went well.”
“The low behind us where Pip and Romain are is quite a big one so hopefully we are staying ahead of us and it should not be too violent and this should take us top the Australian exclusion zone.”
And some 450 miles behind, in the heart of the system which is chasing Davies’ foursome, Pip Hare is happy too, relishing a few easier miles.
“It is all going to change today as the low is going to catch me up. Out on deck it is really cold, very wet, just heavy, wet air. And so I am digging around looking for more layers and waterproof things for going on deck. Today the low will pass over me and my the end of the day I will gybe but it is going well at the moment and so I am quite a happy Pip.”
Vendee Globe Leaders at 06:00 hrs GMT Sunday 8 December 2024
1st FRA Charlie Dalin MACIF Santé Prévoyance
2nd FRA Sébastien Simon Groupe Dubreuil
3rd FRA Yoann Richomme PAPREC ARKÉA
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant VULNERABLE
5th FRA Jérémie Beyou CHARAL
6th FRA Nicolas Lunven HOLCIM – PRB
7th GBR Sam Goodchild VULNERABLE
8th FRA Paul Meilhat Biotherm
9th FRA Yannick Bestaven MAÎTRE COQ V
10th SUI Justine Mettraux Teamwork-Team Snef
11th GER Boris Herrmann MALIZIA – SEAEXPLORER
12th GBR/FRA Samantha Davies Initiatives-Cœur
13th FRA Clarisse Crémer L’OCCITANE en Provence
14th FRA Benjamin Dutreux GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT – WATER FAMILY
15th FRA Romain Attanasio FORTINET – BEST WESTERN
16th GBR Pip Hare MEDALLIA
17th FRA Damien Seguin GROUPE APICIL
18th FRA Jean Le Cam TOUT COMMENCE EN FINISTERE – ARMOR-LUX
19th FRA/GER Isabelle Joschke MACSF
20th FRA Tanguy Le Turquais LAZARE
