As James Harayda (Gentoo Sailing Team) clings to tenth, Britain has three skippers in the top ten. Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) is fifth and Pip Hare (Medallia) seventh.
Indeed with Herrmann in sixth and Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (TeamWork – Team SNEF) holding eighth international sailors hold half of the top ten positions.
Leader of the New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne, Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) continues to work close the to the most direct route towards the race finish line off the Vendée coast.
Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) should now start to finally reap the rewards for his northerly route. Within the next few hours he should get into the faster downwind conditions which could bring him back south east towards France at quicker speeds than his rivals.
Harayda is finding the constant pressure stimulating as he seeks to close the knowledge gaps, most especially how to make his Finot Conq IMOCA go upwind better.
But, spare a thought for some of the top foilers who were left behind and having something of a nightmare, still in light winds.
Maxime Sorel (V &B – Monbana – Mayenne) is 25th, Vendée Globe 2020 winner Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V) is 27th and 28th is Roman Attanasio (Fortinet-Best Western) nearly 661 miles behind Dalin.
All were still making less than 10kts towards Les Sables d’Olonne and perhaps wondering how they have upset the weather gods.
Vendee New York Qualifier Leaderboard Day 6
