The top two Vendée Globe skippers are breaking free of the zone of lighter winds, a high pressure ridge, which has been blocking their way northwards.
Speeds have risen above 20 knots and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) has maintained a steady lead of between 13 and 14 miles over his nearest rival Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance)
They should also be breaking free of the zone of lighter winds, a high pressure ridge, which has been blocking their way northwards. Speeds have risen above 20 knots and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) has maintained a steady lead of between 13 and 14 miles over his nearest rival Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance)
Since rounding Cape Horn third placed Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) has found lighter winds, trying to mitigate against the worst of this he is routing west of the Falklands to stay out of their lee.
He should be able to get to the other side of a front after some close hauled sailing to find some faster downwind speeds. But the south Atlantic looks complex for him.
Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) continues to profit from his gains of yesterday and has a good runway into Cape Horn today, his second racing on the Vendée Globe after retiring from the 2016 race into New Zealand.
Saturday and Sunday will be a big weekend for Cape Horn, potentially the busiest period in the history of the race.
With seven skippers within 207 miles it will be an unprecedented weekend for the lighthouse keeper who lives there with his family. Even if he wont see many of them he monitors their progress very closely and is in regular contact with the race.
Among them in 9th place Saturday, Briton’s Sam Goodchild is looking forwards to his first solo rounding.
Goodchild reported . . . “ The wind is just going to come in before Cape Horn with this depressions which is the fifth one of The Southern Ocean, we are 849.6 miles from the Cape and so we should be there the day after tomorrow (Sunday).
At the moment we have 25 knots expecting up to 30-35kts and probably quite a bit more sea state, probably up to five metres, so it is a depression but nothing we have not seen before.”
Vendee Globe Leaders at 10:00 hrs GMT Friday 27 December 2024
1st FRA Yoann Richomme PAPREC ARKÉA – 5887 nm to Finish
2nd FRA Charlie Dalin MACIF Santé Prévoyance – 22 nm to leader
3rd FRA Sébastien Simon GROUPE Dubreuil – 707 nm to leader
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant VULNERABLE– 1333 nm to leader
5th FRA Jérémie Beyou CHARAL
6th FRA Nicolas Lunven HOLCIM – PRB
7th FRA Paul Meilhat Biotherm
8th GER Boris Herrmann MALIZIA – SEAEXPLORER
9th GBR Sam Goodchild VULNERABLE – 1691 nm to leader
10th SUI Justine Mettraux TEAMWORK-Team Snef
11th FRA Yannick Bestaven MAÎTRE COQ V
12th FRA Clarisse Crémer L’OCCITANE en Provence
13th FRA Benjamin Dutreux GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT – WATER FAMILY
14th GBR Samantha Davies Initiatives-Cœur – 3122 nm to leader
15th FRA Romain Attanasio FORTINET – BEST WESTERN
16th FRA Damien Seguin GROUPE APICIL
17th FRA Jean Le Cam TOUT COMMENCE EN FINISTERE – ARMOR-LUX
18th ITA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYMIAN
19th FRA/GER Isabelle Joschke MACSF
20th SUI Alan Roura HUBLOT
