Since Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) crossed Cape Horn in fourth place Friday night at 17:38:29hrs UTC four more Vendee Globe skippers have passed the third Cape.
Jérémie Beyou (Charal) and Nico Lunven (HOLCIM-PRB) crossed just fifteen minutes apart in fifth and sixth places respectively, Beyou some 10 hours and 38 minutes behind Ruyant. Both, like Ruyant, passed well offshore in 30 to 35kts of wind and big seas.
Also rounding Saturday morning is Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) now up to seventh ahead of Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) who rounded in eighth, just before 11:00 hrs UTC.
Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) passed Cape Horn in ninth, after 48d 02h 42min 52s – at 14:44:52 UTC 12/28/2024 some 1,683 nm off race leader Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), who has a 100+ nm lead from Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) this Saturday (28 Dec) morning.
The two leaders are close to the centre of the low pressure they are negotiating some 250 nautical miles off the Argentinian coast. Richomme has the leader’s advantage of breaking into the better breeze first, while Dalin seems slightly closer to the centre of the low with a little less wind.
Richomme is pushing as hard as ever knowing that in the close hauled phase, sailing closer to the wind, Dalin has the boat which is more optimised for these tighter angles and so these extra gains will be welcomed.
A possible finish now talked of being into Les Sables d’Olonne around 14 or 15 January 2025.
Steering system failure for 11th placed Yannick Bestaven (MAÎTRE COQ V)
At 21:00hrs UTC Friday evening, while sailing in rough seas, five metres of waves and nearly 30 knots of wind approximately 450 miles east of Cape Horn, Yannick Bestaven contacted his shore-based technical team to report a steering system failure on his Maître CoQ V monohull.
The cause: a problem with the rudder link bar (the system that connects the two rudders, which are then connected to the pilot cylinders). After several hours of work Bestaven was able to set up a temporary system using ropes to steer his IMOCA.
He is fine and resumed his journey during the night, although forced to sail at a reduced speed. He is studying the repair options with his team.
Vendee Globe Leaders at 22:00 hrs GMT Saturday 28 December 2024
1st FRA Yoann Richomme PAPREC ARKÉA – 5292 nm to Finish
2nd FRA Charlie Dalin MACIF Santé Prévoyance – 75 nm to leader
3rd FRA Sébastien Simon GROUPE Dubreuil – 624 nm to leader
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant VULNERABLE– 1237 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 – 1647 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 – 3200 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 FRA/GER Isabelle Joschke MACSF
19th ITA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYMIAN
20th SUI Alan Roura HUBLOT
