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This space shall serve as the primary thread for Pressure Drop's coverage of the 2020-2021 Vendee Globe!
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The Boss Readies For Another Go
“This race has consumed me for the past 20 years”
Alex Thomson on his quest to make British sporting history
Alex Thomson is just days away from beginning a sporting challenge widely regarded as one of the toughest in the world today.
The 46-year-old from Gosport, Hampshire will depart on Sunday (8th November) onboard his HUGO BOSS boat from Les Sables-D’Olonne on France’s west coast to begin the Vendée Globe – a 24,000-mile, solo, non-stop, unassisted race around the world.
This will be Thomson’s fifth attempt at conquering what remains the ultimate prize in solo sailing, one which takes place just every four years and has only ever been won by a French skipper. Having finished third in 2012-13 and second in 2016-17, Thomson finds himself one of the favourites heading into the 2020 edition.
Together with 32 other skippers, Thomson will begin the race on Sunday ‘behind closed doors’ after the Vendée Globe’s famous race village - which, every four years attracts some two million visitors - was forced to close amid France’s national COVID-19 confinement measures. Thomson, like his rivals, will have spent the seven days prior to the start of the race in isolation, and will depart dry land on Sunday in the absence of a roaring crowd.
“The race start is going to look very different this time around and I feel very sad that I won’t be able to meet all the fans and wave to the spectators along the canal” said Thomson “That moment is really something special, the atmosphere is incredible. That being said, this race was made to be consumed digitally so I think this is a real opportunity for us to engage people all over the world via the internet. This sport has so much to offer and it’s our job to tell that story”.
Together with their Technology Partner, Nokia Bell Labs, the British sailing team have installed an array of nine cameras across the HUGO BOSS racing boat, which will enable Thomson to record and stream content for fans even from the middle of the ocean. For the very first time, fans will also be able to view data around the clock, including insight into Thomson’s sleep patterns, activity levels, calories burned and heart rate.
“The pandemic has given us more reason than ever before to use technology to encourage people to follow the race online” he continued. “We’re going to do our very best to make the public feel like they’re onboard HUGO BOSS with me. I’m looking forward to entertaining everyone!”
Thomson won the hearts of people around the world in the 2016-17 edition of the Vendée Globe when, after breaking the hydrofoil of his boat just 11 days into the race, he went on to vie for the title, losing out to the winner – Armel Le Cléac'h - by just 24-hours, after 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes at sea. This time around, the Brit believes new records will be set:
“These boats are incredibly fast and incredibly physical so I certainly think we could see a winning time well under 70 days. But I’m not going out there hunting for records. It doesn’t matter how long it takes us; what matters is that we finish the race and I think if we can do that, we stand a very good chance of being at the front”.
For the past 17 years, the British sailing team – together with its Title Partner, HUGO BOSS, has set its sights on gold in the Vendée Globe. “Third, second – there’s only really one place to go! So yes of course we want to win it. This race has consumed me for the past 20 years so it’s difficult to put into words what a win would mean. But I won’t allow myself to think about that just yet…” -
This cycle is going to be one for the ages!Comment
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2020-2021 Vendee Globe Has Commenced
A sea mist shrouding the start zone off Les Sables d’Olonne held up the start of the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe solo non stop round the world race for nearly one hour and 20 minutes.
But for their patience the record-sized 33 boat fleet was rewarded by late Autumn sunshine, a near perfect 10-12 knots south easterly breezes and flat seas when the start gun finally sounded at 1420hrs French time, sending the lone 27 men and 6 women skippers off on their 24,296 nautical miles round the world challenge.
For the nervous first timers the added delay ratcheted up the tension on top of a morning of bubbling emotions. In contrast the super-experienced solo racers grabbed a welcome quiet cat-nap after enduring what almost all reported to be a sleepless final night on land.
When the gun sounded at 1420hrs (French time) Louis Burton on Bureau Vallée 2 broke the start line first. But the third-time Vendée Globe skipper, racing the boat which won in 2016-17 and holds the race record, was notably seconds ahead of the gun.
He is penalised according to the strict race rules, required to halt his race for five hours – stopping racing and resuming from the same point – before 38°40,000N, so just north Lisbon.
With two to three months of racing ahead, safe prudent starts were otherwise the order of the day. But as the fleet accelerated away from the line the fast, foiling IMOCAs started to build speed on the flat seas.
It was the newest, least proven boat of the eight, new 2020 generation builds to line up in this race, the Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Corum L’Épargne sailed by first-timer Nico Troussel, which set the early pace, at the vanguard of an armada heading due west into a complex first week at sea. Pre-race favourite Jérémie Beyou lay second and Britain’s Sam Davies was fourth on Initiatives Coeur.
As the afternoon wore on and the pace lifted, on the heels of a strengthening breeze, Beyou’s Charal held the lead making 26kts ahead of Charlie Dalin on Apivia in second with Briton Alex Thomson gradually winding up the potent HUGO BOSS after his promised safe, steady start, to lie third at 1600hrs local time.
Pontoon Emotions Blown Away
Without exception, from rockstar favourites to hard bitten adventurers, the solo racers will be content to be in their preferred element this evening. They are facing a difficult first night at sea with winds over 30kts after midnight tonight when a first front hits. But they are finally unleashed after a week of Covid confinement, the building breeze now requires full focus race mode, and blows away memories of this morning’s emotional dockout from the famous Les Sables d’Olonne pontoon.
With spectators banned from the famous Channel, the pierheads, the docks, the beaches by a vigilant, active police presence it was a particular, curiously quiet departure on to the ocean.
From – first down the dock - the zen like Armel Tripon who had missed his usual morning meditation and had the longest walk to his jet black scow bowed L’Occitaine.
His purposeful march was followed by simple direct answers. He chose not to have his close friends and family on the pontoon but was loudly applauded by the appreciative technical teams on each boat as he passed.
"Complex weather, I slept well, but I didn't have time to do my meditation this morning." Announced Tripon a smile in his eyes that belied his obvious urgency to be at sea.
While shaven headed chilled pout Tripon arrived at his boat alone surrounded by family Clement Giraud bolted from his dockside interview overcome by tears. There were long lingering embraces for Damien Seguin and his partner. Switzerland’s Alan Roura and Germany’s Boris Herrmann leave behind tiny babies.
Charal’s Jérémie Beyou commented, “It is my fourth but I have the same emotions as the first time. It is not easy, not easy. But it is cool to be here with my team I know so well, and with my boat which is well prepared. It is a special thing. I spent a bit of last night looking at the weather and strategy a bit this morning.”
Herrmann, said “I am happy to go and ready to go. I am very happy the race is starting at all considering the conditions, it is a good job that every who organises the race has done. I’m not too excited, that will come later but I slept very, very well.” Said Herrmann.
England’s Sam Davies arrived with her partner Romain Attanasio, smiling, focused, radiant wearing her lucky red tights with white hearts on them. “I am excited, happy to be here with this amazing boat and amazing team. Now hopefully I can go and sail as well as my team has prepared my boat and for the race. I am just really looking forwards to it.” Said the Initiatives-Coeur skipper.
Her compatriot Miranda Merron looked relaxed and almost skipped to her Campagne de France, “Why would I be worried, it is too late now. I have no indication right now that I am off on a round the world race on my own. I am sure I will be more worried at the start. I hate starts I am always worried about other boats.” She added, “I am sure the state has a good reason to have locked up the entire population of Les Sables d’Olonne in their houses this morning but to me it seems a little mean spirited when this event comes round once every four years. And I think the organisation has done an amazing job in a very difficult context and I just I think it is a shame that even people who live right on the waterfront are not allowed out of their houses."
Dignified, charismatic Japanese Kojiro Shiraishi arrived in traditional Japanese costume and carrying his bō, a fighting staff..
Reunited with her Medallia Pip Hare gushed, “I’m really, really happy even if it does not look like it.” She said, looking all the time to the blue skies and fighting back tears, “I am really nervous. I can’t believe this day has arrived. I can’t believe it is here. It is huge. In a way I can’t imagine what is ahead of me and in another way I can imagine every single minute of it. I just want to go out and find out if this thing that I have thought will be is as amazing. But I think it is going to be better.”
By way of contrast Alex Thomson was brisk and business-like, starting looking positively skinny as he stepped on board HUGO BOSS. “It is a lovely morning, the fog has cleared and the sun is out. It is going to be an interesting start, great for the TV cameras, the wind should be light to begin with. It is going to build but then a bit of a light patch this evening around 6pm , and then it will build and we get to a front and tack and try and avoid the light air off Finisterre then the wind comes back in from the south we will tack again and go west, with potentially difficult boat breaking conditions big waves up to five metres, the front passes and we start heading south. But it is messy with lots of secondary lows where we are looking to snaking to the south somehow. It is a shame there are no tradewinds, it is going to be a tough five to six days for all the skippers, lots of sail changes and potentially boat breaking conditions in that second front. And a complicated routing. It will be tricky. And it will sort the men from the boys. For sure. It has been a tough year. It is a shame there are no public. I feel happy, privileged I have done the four before and so there is not maybe the emotion of before, but I have that. I am 2/4 in terms of my starts, I am a 50%-er, I have to make it 3/5. That is the main objective.Every Vendée Globe is the race of your life I am just looking forwards to taking this boat and seeing what we can do together.”
President of the Vendée Globe Yves Auvinet wished the fleet well, “To all of you, fellow sailors I sincerely wish you a nice and enjoyable race around the world, looking forward to seeing you again. Good luck, fair winds.”
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STORY LINKComment
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November 9th Updates From The Edge
Vendee fans might have noticed Alex's sudden speed decrease last night on the tracker and speculation was that of gear failure
of some sort, but as Alex explains, things got sticky because of fishing gear interference and losing a sheet during sail change
An update from Alex Thomson onboard the HUGO BOSS boat during the first 24 hours of racing in the Vendée Globe . No sleep but still in good spirits!
https://www.alexthomsonracing.com/the-hub/race/
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00 miles off the Bay of Biscay, the fleet is heading south towards Cape Finisterre. This afternoon, the IMOCAs are descending downwind at low speed in the irregular gusts of a high pressure ridge. It's a calm Monday before the warning shot expected Tuesday evening. In the West or in the South, everyone will have to position themselves to tackle this phenomenon.
After the emotion, the action
Fabrice Amedeo is still in Port Olona, in Les Sables d'Olonne, to change his gennaker hook and above all to repair a small crack in the mast, at the halyard outlet. The skipper of Newrest - Art & Fenêtres should be able to go back to sea from tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
For others, it's action! Forgotten the emotions and the effusions of the old woman. The sailors of this 9 th Vendée Globe have entered their race and are preparing to experience a handful of very active days for their start to descend the North Atlantic.
Their first night at sea to get away from the French coast to seek in the West the first front of this round the world trip left them little respite. Beyond the sail change maneuvers to tackle the front, many have had to deal with technical setbacks: hooking problems aboard HUGO BOSS or LinkedOut or even fishing nets caught in the appendages of V and B-Mayenne and Charal, Jérémie Beyou worrying this midday to know if his keel had not been damaged. The presence in this area of freighters and fishermen added a layer of difficulty. This Monday, they all badly need sleep and a substantial meal to regain strength and clarity. Because until the end of this week, the weather will be very complicated.
© Eloi Stichelbaut / polaRYSE / CORUM L'Epargne
A tough choice
"The situation is totally atypical" , recognizes Charlie Dalin (Apivia) joined this morning in video. Instead of the traditional Azores high pressure system, a string of depressions disrupts the sailors' progress towards the south. Everyone will have to choose how to tackle these phenomena, foremost among which is an active front which will pass overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing gusts of 40 knots and above all a strong and crossed sea (5 meters deep). A difficult choice is emerging as of today within the fleet: to stay offshore at the risk of suffering harsh conditions or to "go inland" at Cape Finisterre and along the Iberian peninsula with the danger of becoming entangled in an area of soft winds.
" Everyone will have to find the best compromise between performance on the fastest but committed road, and a more southerly trajectory, which will save the boat ", summarizes Christian Dumard, in charge of the weather forecast for the race. This choice will be made this evening or tonight when the wind, ahead of the front, switches to the southwest and it will be necessary to remember to tack.
Drifting IMOCAs in the spotlight
Already today, everyone seems to have placed their pawns on the grand chessboard. And it is the group from the south that logically has the favors of the ranking: Damien Seguin (Groupe Apicil) leads the way, ahead of Maxime Sorel (V and B - Mayenne), Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!), Romain Attanasio ( Pure - Best Western) and Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA - Water Family).
The light airs of the day are not favorable to the foilers - all shifted between 50 and 75 miles west of the “southerners” - who are struggling to exceed 10 knots of speed. Author of a very nice start to the race, Nicolas Troussel (CORUM - The Epargne), the first of them, point 6 th position.
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France’s double Paralympic gold medallist and 2017 winner of the Tour Voile Damien Seguin leads the 33 boat Vendée Globe fleet as the early rankings favour a leading group of older generation IMOCAs as they race south westwards across the Bay of Biscay towards Cape Finisterre.
While the fastest latest generation foiling boats worked a more northwesterly route last night and in the first part of the morning, Seguin (Groupe APICIL), Maxime Sorel (V and B - Mayenne) and veteran Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!) hold a small advantage on the afternoon ranking. But they are expected to lose out as they sail for longer in a north-south zone of lighter winds.
Seguin, who was born without a left hand, has scored successes in pretty much every different inshore and offshore discipline, including Class40, before taking on this Vendée Globe on the boat which Eric Bellion raced to ninth place last time. He has been helped in his round the world preparations by veteran Jean Le Cam, who was some seven miles behind the talented and competitive 41 year old race leader.
After the excitement, indeed for some the sheer euphoria, of finally being on the solo round the world race course, the first full day of this Vendée Globe has offered a few hours of lighter winds allowing the skippers the chance to rest, to take stock, to work through their jobs list and to prepare for a moderately nasty front which will bring strong winds and steep seas during the night of Tuesday into Wednesday.
Nico Troussel on the Juan K designed Corum L’Épargne continues to be quickest of the fast foilers which are racing on the same angle this Monday afternoon some 50-60 nautical miles to the west and making similar speeds in the sunshine and lighter airs in the high pressure ridge.
Troussel, a double winner of La Soltaire du Figaro, was more than seven miles ahead of Britain’s Sam Davies who has been going well on her Initiatives Coeur. Neither skipper seemed to have suffered the first night niggles – small technical problems – which cost miles. Both Jérémie Beyou (Charal) and Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS) snagged fishing gear on their various appendages. The British skipper had a night time battle with his J3 headsail when a sheet detached. Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) reported he lost 15 miles when a sail unfurled.
“These things are minor just now. In a few days they will look back and think them nothing much but some of them come from not having been sailing for a while” commented Seb Josse on the Vendée Globe LIVE show this lunch time in Les Sables d’Olonne.
Josse has been working closely as a part of a dream team getting Corum ready, trying to ensure the the May 2020 launched design is as reliable as possible,
“We worked a little bit like Alex Thomson, on our own not doing the races but we sailed as many longer race like passages as we could, trying to break things, which we did and repaired them.” Explained Josse.
Speaking of Tuesday’s strong winds the race’s weather expert Christian Dumard reports, “Gusts in excess of 40 knots are forecast with cross seas and waves building to 5 metres on Tuesday night. The whole fleet will be changing tack to head towards the SW in the NW’ly air stream ahead of the ridge of high pressure. Winds will become lighter as they advance towards Spain. For the leaders, it is going to be important to find their way south without getting becalmed in these calmer conditions. The precise moment at which they change tack will be crucial. There is therefore the choice now of diving south with a higher risk of getting stuck in light airs off Spain, along with the disadvantage of reaching the front after those further west, but on the other hand, conditions will be quieter by then. Those who decide to go further west are less likely to be caught in the light airs, but face a more violent front with the risk that entails for their gear. No doubt, they will all be seeking out their own personal compromise between the fastest route, which will no doubt be tougher on the boat and the skipper and a trajectory to the south, which is likely to be kinder to both.”
Speaking on the live this morning Alex Thomson said “The next big thing will be crossing this front. There is this light patch off Finisterre so I would prefer to be further west but I am not and then we will be sailing towards the front which will be interesting. Last night I saw 2.5m waves average when we will be looking at 4.5 to 5m waves so my hull fibre optics were getting close to their limits last night. So I am not sure I am going to belt in to this too fast, if I can I will try and get a bit further south and avoid the worst of that.”
Damage at the top of his mast added more frustration for Fabrice Amedeo who is expected to return to the race course tomorrow morning after making a U turn and arriving back at the race dock in Les Sables d’Olonne on this mornings 0700hrs tide. A fast pitstop has not been possible after effecting the replacement of a gennaker hook (lock) after additional problems surfaced.
Jérémie Beyou (Charal): “The first hours were nice there was a flat sea with 20 knots of speed but things have become a bit more complicated now, I think something caught in the keel in the middle of the night. I think I’ve lost a bit of time. You get back into the swing of very quickly – the set up and the routine comes back quickly, afterwards it’s not easy to get into your sleep and physical rhythm. It’s not going to be easy but we’re waiting for the first ridge- we are going to get wind this afternoon. There will be a bit of difficulty with the storm tomorrow which is a bit worrying.”
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After starting the Vendée Globe this afternoon Sunday November 8 at 1420hrs local time. French skipper Fabrice Amedeo has been forced to make a U-turn and return to the start port of Les Sables d’Olonne because of a problem with the hook (lock) of his headsail which has prevented him from dropping his gennaker.
As he was already 50 nautical miles away from Les Sables d’Olonne Amedeo on Newrest - Art & Fenêtres has to beat upwind back to the start town. His arrival on the outskirts of Sables d'Olonne is expected now to be in the middle of tonight. His stopover is expected to be brief.
There are two options open to Amedeo: to return through the channel to the dock in Port Olona or to take advantage of one of the temporary mooring buoys at the entrance to the port made available to the skippers for such a purpose as having to return to Les Sables d’Olonne to repair.
The Newrest - Art & Fenêtres shore team are ready to solve the problem which is simple but will be costly in terms of time lost against the fleet.
The team must still respect the sanitary bubble which, for a week, has protected the skippers against the risk of transmission of Covid-19.
The sanitary protocol put in place by the Vendée Globe also covers situations like this, an early return to port with a problem.Comment
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West Is Best, Or The Safer South?
First hard point of this 9th Vendée Globe: the passage of an active front this night which will bring its harvest of gusts and cross seas. Heading west, part of the fleet has opted for a frontal impact in order to then benefit from "favorable" conditions downwind. Further south, the other group, led by the new leader Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA-Water Family), prefers to protect themselves from the harshness of the elements. At the end of the afternoon, everyone was progressing close-hauled. The escapees from the West were already beginning to feel the blast of this heat stroke in the sails, with 25 knots of wind and significant troughs.
The philosophies diverge, the roads too. On this second day of the race, the 32 sailors at sea * form a disparate group: some along the Spanish coast as closely as possible, inside the DST of Cape Finisterre (traffic separation system), the others escaping offshore to meet the strong wind. Everyone has had an idea of how they will approach the front line tonight. The sailors have chosen in their soul and conscience where to place the cursor: to go to the front or to be careful.
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West, the most efficient route, but the most exposed
There are a dozen or so to go “to the fight”: Armel Tripon, Thomas Rettant, Louis Burton in the lead, with to their wind, another small group made up of Sébastien Simon, Boris Herrmann, Alex Thomson and Clarisse Cremer. They are the ones who should face the toughest conditions tonight. The southwesterly wind will gain strength as the day progresses, reaching an average of 35 knots around midnight (45 knots in the gusts). And the playing field will seriously dent with 4 to 5 meters of hollows which will reach three quarters of the face after passing the front.
At the end of the afternoon, the southerly wind had already picked up - 25 knots - without the boats really managing to accelerate… These westerners hope that it will only be a bad moment to pass and then benefit from optimum road, downwind, to negotiate a 3 e big depression in the South of the Azores, between Thursday and Friday.
To the south, the slowest route, but the most careful
“You have to be wise. This is not where the Vendée Globe is won, but this is where it can get lost, ” says Damien Seguin, contacted during the Vendée Live program this afternoon, just after having dived to free a caught fishing net in the keel of his boat. And they are several to join his analysis. Nicolas Troussel, until then close to the West, did not hesitate to cross the stretch of water and cover more than 35 miles that night to rally the southerners. A costly turnaround also agreed to by Yannick Bestaven who changed his course to pass inside the DST of Cape Finisterre, to the point of seeing land.
It is the choice of reason. Especially since the fatigue is there after these first two days of racing, certainly sunny, but eventful. Browsers are not yet fully amarinated. They have a sleep and energy deficit. To the point that Jean Le Cam confessed this morning to having made a “KO”: he collapsed, asleep for several hours, without hearing his alarm sound and woke up in panic, forced to turn in disaster at 7 miles from the Coruna. “ The idea is to go south so as not to take too much of a jerk off. The front escapes towards the North, I prefer to insure the blow, because there will be sea and heavy gusts. I prefer to go from the South, even if it's not the most efficient ”he summed up over the phone.
In the center, the compromise
Between these two extremes, the rest of the armada plays the compromise. Charlie Dalin, Jérémie Beyou, Kevin Escoffier and Sam Davies are among them. And they were the fastest by mid-afternoon. Behind them, Isabelle Joschke who also curved her path, fully assumed her way of wisdom: "I intend to be careful and go in conditions that I consider to be manageable" admitted the sailor contacted in visio this Tuesday morning.
Theta: depression under surveillance
She has a name that seems out of a science fiction novel - in fact, it is the 8 th letter of the Greek alphabet - and it has tropical depression tunes. It's Theta. It is located in the South of the Azores and remains under the surveillance of the Race Direction and the weather unit of the Vendée Globe. It will affect the fleet from Thursday.
The trade winds are not for now and they will be earned!
* News from Fabrice Amedeo
In the port of Les Sables d'Olonne, repairs to the mast crack at Newrest- Art & Fenêtres are well underway . The technical team took the opportunity to check the entire boat. Fabrice Amedeo has planned to set sail again this Tuesday evening at 10:15 p.m. He will have to cross the starting line again, or leave the Nouch Sud buoy to starboard.
The editor of the Vendée Globe / C.El
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Alan Roura recounts his race after 48 hours at sea. He recounts the atmosphere aboard La Fabrique.
"It's off again for a second Vendée Globe ... I'm still a bit elsewhere, I think of the people I left on the ground, it's not the same as the last time. I'm clearly much more in fashion. race, but I also think a lot more about taking as little risk as possible and making everyone proud of me.
The start of the race is really not very funny, this Vendée promises to be long, it will take 2 weeks to reach Cape Verde ... This sea from the front is quite difficult, for me and for the boat. The weather has also improved on the water since the start, which in my opinion was not an option, maybe a little too daring? In any case, I quickly found myself in the sluggishness, on the cargo route. Right in the middle of the biggest maritime traffic in Europe, without wind! It's awesome ! Ah ah ...
I try to take my pace, my marks and tell myself that the race has only just begun. I haven't looked at the rankings too much yet, I'm trying to navigate cleanly. I am not very fast but I try to have a clean road, with logical angles. So far, I don't think I've made a lot of mistakes. On the other hand, since I rolled up the gennaker, I have been doing tight upwind ... And it has been going on for almost 24 hours. I LOVE the upwind with my boat!
I turned last night to get the wind, hoping to be able to recover the ground that I lost. The rest is not going to be funny, already that it was not very comfortable until then, with the sea facing from the beginning… It jumps! I even took a bag over the face. And I had some really big headaches. But it's getting better, paracetamol is my friend! This is the consequence of being shaken in the waves for two days ...
Tonight, it will send severe I think, there may be breakage in the fleet ... I have already prepared everything, the sails are in place, the deck is clean, the interior is tidy! On board things are rolling, I manage to sleep, not eat so much, but I drink a lot and I do my best. "
Alan / The Factory
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Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco) was on vacation this morning at 9:30 am. He calmly prepares to face the front.
"It's going very well, I haven't had the chance to sleep much yet, the wind is not very stable. There is Clarisse Cremer behind me about ten miles away, we talk to each other a little on Whatsapp, c 'is nice. We are upwind with a little choppy water, I had a nice sunrise this morning. The clouds are coming little by little and mentally we are getting ready for the front from this noon. The idea, c 'is to go west while still trying to gain miles to the south. We follow the changes in the wind, the wind is very unstable. There will be a lot of downsizing maneuvers: there will be a reef, then two reefs, I will put three reefs I think in the strongest wind. I will go slowly, maybe at 10 knots, to preserve the boat. "
Boris / SeaExplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco
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Successful ascent for Arnaud Boissières
Since the start, the small gennaker was stuck at the head of the mast, and Arnaud Boissières was forced this morning to climb up to lower it. The operation took place off Cape Finisterre and was not easy. We first had to climb 25 meters to reach this faulty hook and drop this sail. While descending, the gennaker fell into the water and wrapped around the outrigger. The skipper then went down urgently to retrieve the sail. However, he had to climb to the end of this outrigger, another high-risk maneuver. “It was a day on the theme of balancing act”.
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Joined to the morning session, Louis Burton explains his choice of route. He will repair his penalty after passing the front.
" It's okay ! I start to get wind from the second front and the sea begins to form a little bit. At the moment I have a southerly wind for 20 knots, the sea is starting to be a little rough, but we have sun for the moment. My choice of route was made from the start, I could see myself going far enough to the West to avoid being forced along the coast of Portugal. For my penalty, it's true that it's a bit frustrating, because it went down to a few seconds, but that's part of the game. I moved on, I'll do it after the front when I have less wind, and I'll take the opportunity to go to sleep during that time! The depression evolves in movement quite quickly, we will try to take it in the right direction, it takes a little success ... We must be in its path when it leaves in the East. By being positioned well to the west, it will be advantageous enough to go around it with the downwinds. For now, nothing to regret, myBureau Vallée 2 is in great shape, it is all dry inside, and no damage. I have taken my marks, I will do it slowly in the transitions so as not to break any material. "
Louis / Office Valley 2
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For Yannick Bestaven, skipper of Maître CoQ IV, it will be the Southern option! He explains why at the session this Tuesday morning.
"It's complicated to talk about strategy. Compared to the weather, I prefer to try the coup in the South to have less wind and less sea. I don't know if it's a good racing option, I have crossed the fleet again to go to the South. I am not alone in the area but of the group from the West, only Nico (Troussel) has failed. The other boats had taken the option West for a long time. Suddenly, we have traveled more distance to reposition ourselves. It's not very pretty, but the Vendée Globe is long. It's a safe option that I took. picking through a nice depression in the descent of the Atlantic, it will not be quiet at all. There are several secondary depressions on the road. At the moment, it is calm, I can see the Spanish coasts. Since the start of the race,it was quite active, I couldn't really rest, only in small increments, sitting or lying down, but I'm not too much in the red. "
Yannick / Master CoQ IV
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Hurried transfer this morning aboard Yes We Cam! Jean Le Cam tells it at the session this Tuesday morning.
“It's not bad, but this morning, I fell asleep completely: I was exhausted. I woke up seven miles from shore, had to do a messy tack, with the matossage and all that. Stacking should be prohibited on these boats! I fell asleep, a complete knockout like in Figaro. You no longer know where you are. It sounds weird ... The alarm clock didn't ring. It takes time to get used to it, to pick up the pace. At the start of the race, it's complicated to sleep, you don't sleep for 5 minutes.
The idea is to go to the South so as not to get too big a jerk off. The front escapes towards the North, I prefer to insure the blow, because there will be sea and heavy gusts. I prefer to go from the South, even if it is not the most efficient. Things are going pretty well, I see the AIS CORUM Savingsthat goes behind me! It's pretty good after two days! I have APICIL nearby , we are a small group. CORUM has left the Western group, not crazy the wasp! We are better off here in the South, there will be less of everything. I passed the DST, I am easy. I'm ready: I'm going to reduce the canvas, the batteries are full, and as I knocked out, I'm rested. At the moment, there are boats everywhere, fishermen, racing boats, we will be on the rail soon. We'll sleep later! We are where we are. "
Jean / Yes We Cam!Comment
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There should be some interesting reports over the next 24-48 hours!Comment
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Charal Turns Back
At 9.15 am this morning, the Race Direction of the Vendée Globe contacted Vincent Beyou, Charal's team manager, after noting a change in the trajectory of the black boat. A few minutes later, the latter informed the DC of the decision taken by Jérémie Beyou to turn around towards Les Sables d'Olonne. It is a series of damage, and in particular a broken backstay (part of the rigging that allows the mast to be held) that forces Jérémie to return to the port of departure to carry out all the necessary repairs. He should arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne on Friday at the end of the day. Remember that the skipper of Charal has until Wednesday 18 November 2:20 p.m. to start the race again.
The explanations of the Charal team:
After less than three days of racing, Jérémie Beyou made the decision this Wednesday morning to head to Les Sables d'Olonne, the IMOCA Charal having been the victim of a series of small damages since Tuesday afternoon.
After a start to the Vendée Globe which had gone ideally for him, since he was in the lead pack after two days of racing, Jérémie Beyou was slowed down on Tuesday afternoon in his progress towards the South.
Technical Director of the Charal Sailing Team, Pierre-François Dargnies said: “ It started around 2 p.m. on Tuesday when a sheet return pulley tore off, which put a little carbon all over the cockpit. Jeremy had to do a little repair, he got into the boat to prepare all this, and while he was inside, he typed something. In the movement, the boat gybed, it found itself on the other side, he then realized that the starboard rudder was a little damaged. He decided to wait for the passage of the front in the night to start the repairs on the rudder, he tacked this morning while waiting for the sunrise to be able to attack this repair, but after a few hours, the starboard backstay (cable which supports the mast from the rear) broke, most certainly, because the sheet feeder, which had itself broken, "
After exchanging with his technical team, Jérémie Beyou therefore took the decision on Wednesday morning to return to Les Sables d'Olonne to repair as quickly as possible:" With a torn off sheet return point, a damaged rudder, knowing that it It is possible that the foil also hit, and a broken runner-up, that was a lot for a third day of racing, ”adds Pierre-François Dargnies, who immediately organized the logistics necessary for the reception of the IMOCA Charal , expected in Les Sables d'Olonne Friday at the end of the day.
" It will necessarily depend on its speed, because as long as it is on the port tack, as is currently the case, it can move forward at more or less normal speed, but on the starboard side, since it has no backstay, he will have to navigate very slowly. The advantage is that it is a priori only downwind. As for the repairs, we have a spare rudder, so that's not a problem, and for the rest, everything will depend on the exact extent of the damage, we will obviously do everything to repair the boat in the best possible way. deadlines and allow our skipper to leave ”. This is possible until the official closure of the line on Wednesday November 18 at 2:20 p.m.Comment
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A Harsh Night For Vendee Sailors
TRACKING
No respite in the night! The skippers who chose the western option had to face harsh conditions with gusts of over 40 knots. Among the "southerners", 150 miles away, Maxime Sorel, Benjamin Dutreux, Jean Le Cam and Nicolas Troussel are leading the race. While Armel Tripon diverted to La Coruña, Fabrice Amedeo, he resumed the race. State of play.
Advantage to the “southerners” Gusts of more than 40 knots, cross seas… The conditions of the night were faithful to forecasts. Before the passage of this dreaded front, the fleet had already been divided into two groups: those who decided to meet the strong wind and those, more cautious, who skirted the Spanish coasts in order to benefit from more favorable conditions. lenient. And this morning, they are the "southerners" who lead the standings.
“ We don't have foil boats, our idea was to go far from the front and take fewer risks ”, confides Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA - Water Family) in the morning, he who is currently 2 nd in the ranking. At his side, we find Maxime Sorel (1st, V and B - Mayenne) and Jean Le Cam (3rd, Yes We Cam!), Also aboard right-drift boats. Note that this group also has a foiler and not just any one: Nicolas Troussel. The skipper of CORUM L'Épargne, in the lead at the start of the race, is one of the only foilers to have followed this option.
In the West, a night of the strong
It was necessary to hang on, all night, for those who chose the west before turning south. “ I got seasick for the first time in my life. It was probably the stress of passing this mighty front », Says Sébastien Simon. The skipper of ARKÉA PAPREC is doing a good job, he who got closer to less than 20 miles from Thomas Roût (LinkedOut), who still leads this group. The Northerner is also the first to have tacked to head south. Behind, Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2) did the same while Armel Tripon (L'Occitane en Provence) was forced to turn back (see elsewhere). A little further on, four “foilers” - Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS), Charlie Dalin (Apivia), Kevin Escoffier (PRB) and Boris Hermann (Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco) - are also preparing to make the switch to the south during the day.
Isabelle Joschke played it safe
She announced it and she did. Yesterday, during the shifts, the MACSF sailor explained: “ I intend to be careful and go in conditions that I consider to be manageable. If we have to take another route than the others, I would . »At midnight, Isabelle Joschke therefore decided to tack towards the Spanish coast in order to avoid the« big »of the depression.
Alexia Barrier: "it's a bit of a war"
" Me too, I hesitated to take that option because the front was freaking me out ," says Alexia Barrier. But aboard 4myPlanet, she finally decided to head west, more than 170 miles to the north of the current leader, Maxime Sorel. Yet his morning is far from restful. " It's a bit of war, I have 30 to 35 knots of wind, 2 to 3 meters of hollow ", she explains during shifts at 5 am. “ But I'm ready to pounce on the pilot if necessary. I don't have a cap, so you have to be ready at all times ! "
Armel Tripon turns to La Coruna
Armel Tripon has decided to set sail for the Spanish coast. The skipper of L'Occitane en Provence suffered the breakage of the hook of his J3 during the night. " The sail has fallen on board but it is recoverable, there is work to be done ", explains the race management. It was decided with his team that Armel Tripon approach La Coruña in order to anchor and repair alone, close to the coast. Armel Tripon was among the first to veer westward yesterday alongside Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut) and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2).
Fabrice Amedeo, popular support before going back to sea
This is one of the great news of the night. At 10:10 p.m., Newrest - Art et Fenêtres set sail from the Port-Olona pontoon before leaving in solitary mode at 11:15 p.m. The technical team had been busy for two and a half days repairing a 6cm crack in the mast and changing the hook. On the channel, at night, Fabrice Amedeo was able to benefit from numerous applause from residents. “ There were people on both sides of the channel, it was really great. I was very touched, it boosts me for the future. We need people's energy to go around the world and there it is, I'm ready. At 5 am, Fabrice Amedeo was 570 miles from the leader, Maxime Sorel.
Vendée Globe editorial staff / Antoine GrenapinComment
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Top 3 boats all non foilers.
Could be a telling story line building!Comment
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Good Luck Or Bad Luck: The Boss Takes Over 2nd Place
TRACKER
Sébastien Destremau: "The boat is now like new"
After the setbacks of yesterday and last night, Sébastien Destremau climbed up the mast to release a rope preventing him from changing sails.
“It's just a small string that broke on a mistake on my part. Everything got tangled up there and there was only one solution: climb to a height of 18 meters (at the level of the 3rd spreader), turn everything and install a new rope. A very 'bustling' climb with the residual sea from the gale of the day before yesterday. The boat was broken down for several hours under the close supervision of the Race Direction. It's nice these guardian angels on the ground. We feel safe knowing that the race management is always by our side. After several hours of effort and a few bruises, the boat is now "like new" except for the famous cardboard cabin ( editor's note, Sébastien Destremau has fitted his boat with a cardboard cap.) who took a severe blow when the line broke. The boom and the mainsail collapsed on it (200 kilos anyway). I took the road around 12:30 pm, everything is perfect. Until the next shit of course. "
Sébastien / thank you
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The first news of Jérémie Beyou (Charal) - attached in video this morning ...
"It gets worse when you think about the events around us. Now, when you are a top athlete, you only live through your goal. For 4 years, I have lived with the goal of trying to win the Vendée Globe. I'm 100% in it, I don't see anything that exists around it. When it stops like that, suddenly, it's super violent. That's why I put so much time to turn around, I should probably have turned back right away, because going to cross the front with the boat in this state, inevitably it did other collateral damage but I couldn't do it. Believe. Waking up is a little hard.
A little earlier in the day, when the wind was not yet too strong, I tore off my headsail clew point return chain, it blew up the helm bulkhead ... tore up the starboard deck and then while I was inside the boat inspecting it all, I hit something with the rudder. It has half risen, I have a hole in the rudder attack and I have the rudder trailing edge which is broken. The strong wind was coming in, so it was either I turned right away, or I continued: we decided with the team that the rudder was going to hold the front and I managed to scramble a sheet. The front has passed, it has passed very quickly. We went from 45 knots on one side to 45 knots on the other. I jibed, I took the runner-up and with all the carbon shards it blew up the runner-up current, I found myself without a runner-up. I had just broken my aerial just a few hours before. The runner-up was the last thing. I had to shoot down and then head back.
There is still sea there, I'm downwind in about fifteen knots with the sea behind so it's fine. On the other side, on the port tack, the rudder is starting to be badly damaged, I can't go very fast. I expect to arrive on the morning of the 14th. For the rest I don't know… The rudder maybe changed, the listening bar and the partition, I admit that I don't really know. Honestly, I'm waking up from 4 years of preparation to try to win the Vendée and that's it. My dad went to the hospital, he had a stroke a week before leaving, I completely overlooked that. Obviously there, it bursts a bit in my face.
There, I bring the boat back and I'll see after. I don't know, I don't know to go back. "
Today, between the fate of Alex Thomson and that of Jérémie Beyou, there is a world. The first sees his dreams of victory slip away. The second is in the lead. Competitors on the water, the solo sailors of the Vendée Globe are also brothers in arms, united in evil. In the northeast of the Azores, as the fleet sped downwind to meet a large tropical depression, the U-turn of one of the race's favorites cast a shadow over the board.
Jérémie Beyou stunned
“ I wake up from 4 years of preparation to try to win the Vendée and that's it (…) Obviously there, it breaks me a bit in the face. There, I bring the boat back and I'll see after. I don't know if I could go back. "It is a Jérémie Beyou struck by the disappointment which was expressed this morning in video. Downwind, port side amûre - to preserve the rig without starboard backstay -, the black boat travels in reverse the path taken to the outward journey. A heartbreak for this great favorite and this great competitor driven by the desire to win the race. Charal should arrive in the port of Les Sables d'Olonne on Saturday morning. Damage assessment (see the skipper's explanations more bas) will start from then on. Jeremy does not yet know if he will be able to go to sea again. He has until Wednesday November 18 2:20 pm to cross the starting line again. " None of us wish anyone what happens to Jeremy. Declared the new leader Alex Thomson.
Thomson in the lead, Le Cam in great shape
While Jérémie Beyou continues his Stations of the Cross towards the port of departure, the fleet continues to progress under the influence of a weak depression located in the northeast of the Azores. An unprecedented situation on a Vendée Globe, the Portuguese archipelago is on the path of sailors who will certainly see the lights of Sao Miguel or Santa Maria tonight. Will some pass between these two islands? A priori, it will be more a question of jibing in this downwind to ward off the winds, but who knows if LinkedOut and Apivia will not play cat and mouse between the rocky islets of Formigas?
North of the map, these two have been an inseparable duo since they crossed paths last night, followed at a distance by PRB. About forty miles downwind, the black bow of HUGO BOSS took control of the race this afternoon. “ Busy, crazy night for all of us: a crazy and intense night for all of us. We spent our time jibing and changing sails, ”Alex Thomson told the radio session this Thursday morning. " We're all tired, I have to go to sleep because it's very easy to do something stupid ". The Briton hasn't done much so far. CORUM-L'Epargne, Initiatives-Cœur and ARKEA-Paprec have aligned themselves along its path. But the Dalin and Thomson groups, shifted to the west of the depression, did not benefit from the strongest wind this evening. The situation continues to benefit men from the East, starting with Jean Le Cam a very fit, new boss IMOCA drift and 2 e in the standings 15:00!
DIY day
The weather situation and the obligation to approach the depressions from the right side (from the North then the West in order to be able to slide downwind) is forcing the fleet to line up. Deviations in longitude are turning into deviations in latitude and more than 300 miles now separate the former from the latter. At the back of the pack, apart from Fabrice Amedeo who flirts with the coasts of northern Spain, Sébastien Destremau has lived through stormy hours. That night, he fell asleep and spent several hours asleep inside the boat, opposite to the road. He then spent his day tinkering on the deck and climbing the mast to untangle twisted halyards. The list of technical issues grows longer as sailors check the condition of their mounts. Maxime Sorel also climbed the mast to retrieve a halyard. Same penalty for Louis Burton who, in addition to his ascent, had to mop up liters of oil (coming from his keel cylinder) spilled inside his boat before grabbing the grinder to repair a small crack on a partition.
Ensuring the condition of the equipment is essential. Because tomorrow morning, it will be necessary to tackle the big tropical depression which bars their way.
Theta 29 th tropical depression of the year
It is at the center of the concerns of sailors. It's a big red ball placed in the middle of the map. A cannon ball. The solitary ones will have to follow its curvature, from the west, touching from afar its generous forms. Those who rub it too closely could be severely punished. Because this subtropical depression conceals within it winds of 50 to 60 knots and makes rise liquid hills of 6 meters. It's Theta. And this is the 29 thtropical depression of the year, a record since we have never observed so many phenomena of this type in previous years. For the record, tropical and subtropical depressions are named after the letters of the alphabet. First 21 letters from the Latin alphabet, then, when all are exhausted, we move on to the Greek alphabet. Theta is the 8 th .
The editor of the Vendée Globe / C. El
On-board message sent by Pip Hare (Medallia) this morning, Thursday 12 November.
"Everything is going well on Medallia, we currently have 10 knots of wind, flat seas, and spent the whole night fighting La Mie Câline - Artisans Artipôle , which finally took the upper hand about 30 minutes ago.
Yesterday was difficult, I didn't stop. I had up to 50 knots around 7 am yesterday morning, the change was brutal. The state of the sea after the front was horrible. It takes about an hour to empty the ballast from the bow of Medallia . The waves were big, they were breaking coming from strange angles, but we got through them all. We didn't have enough canvas and we had too much weight up front - which meant every time I tried to do anything on the deck I was constantly dealing with huge walls of 'water. They also filled the cockpit on several occasions.
I didn't stop, I went from three reefs to a full mainsail while watching the sail climb slowly up the mast (at the column, I was set in "grandmother" mode) and promising myself tea and a rest when it was all over. But it never seemed finished, moving the piles, emptying the ballast, emptying the bow… Then all the damage checks after 50 knots in the bow…
We did quite well. I have some damage on the furling pad, which is superficial, the rope of the J3 is damaged, I will have to sew today. There were some weird noises coming from the back of the boat and I discovered that one of the rudder quadrants had loosened, so I had to get on with it. I think it will be a weekly job, we had similar problems in the Transat Jacques Vabre, and Alan told me he had the same.
The ballast is leaking which is disappointing but ok, it's just more work for me. We really thought we fixed the leaks before the start, but apparently it always leaked, even Bernard Stamn said it was leaking.
Finally, when everything was checked and changed, and the boat was again in a good configuration for the conditions, I settled down to sleep. I activated my AIS alarm because La Mie Câline - Artisans Artipôle was behind me and on a collision course. We fought all night and I had the opportunity to take a few naps. In fact, I was pretty happy when Arnaud finally passed me - I mean it's great to fight with a foiler - but I really needed to sleep.
Today the breeze will pick up and I expect the jib to come off any minute. I have a full list of sewing and splicing jobs to do. I need to sleep and eat more.
I have taken note of the warnings regarding Tropical Depression Theta. She's right on our way. The trickier thing will be to negotiate what will happen next because it seems to have sucked all the wind from the surrounding areas. "
Pip / Medallia
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Thomson In Unfamiliar Territory
TRACKER
It has been a profitable night south of the Azores for Alex Thomson as the British skipper opened miles on the pack which are chasing him as they head south to deal with Theta the tropical storm which is in their path.
The solo skipper of HUGO BOSS gained 37 miles overnight on Nico Troussel (Corum L’Épargne), the racer closest to his course, and now leads second placed Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!) by 31 miles this morning, the veteran French skipper now sailing a route some nine miles east of Thomson’s.
At the northerly edge of storm Theta this morning, Charlie Dalin (Apivia) gybed west at around 0300hrs this morning, electing to take what would be considered a safer route. His course had him more than 90 miles west of Thomson and Le Cam who are both on their fifth Vendée Globe races.
The leading boats were accelerating into more wind, "At the moment I have good conditions, 20-25kts and am under one reef and code zero." confided Nicolas Troussel when contacted this morning on the phone. I will not delay in reducing sail ”
Reducing sail area, going on to a smaller headsail, taking a second reef - is on the agenda for the next few hour as the winds will increase significantly as they head closer to the centre of the storm, but some will probably gybe too, avoiding too strong conditions, while at the same time going early enough to make a safe gybe. Both Troussel and sixth placed Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA-Water Family both confirmed their plans to gybe. Meanwhile it will be interesting to see the routes of Thomson and Le Cam, the 61 year old French skipper is racing the 2007 boat he sailed to sixth in the last edition. Le Cam was second in 2004, abandoned in 2008 when he memorably capsized off Cape Horn and was fifth in 2012. .
RANKING
The gaps will widen
While the leaders get ready to put on heavy gear, the mood is different in the middle and at the back of the pack. In the northeast and as far as the Azores, part of the fleet crosses an area of lighter wind. The gaps are therefore likely to widen between them and the leaders over the course of this 5th day at sea.
Fabrice Amédéo, who left Les Sables d'Olonne on the evening of on November 10 after his technical stoppage, is tacking near the cliffs of northern Spain.
Finally, on the edge of the Bay of Biscay, Jérémie Beyou continues his journey towards the French coasts at moderate speed. He is just under 300 miles from the Vendée.Comment
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Post Theta The Trade Winds Beckon
After tackling Storm Theta, Alex Thomson races south towards the equator.
After a week of racing in the Vendée Globe, Alex now heads south after passing through Storm Theta yesterday in some challenging conditions. The routing had HUGO BOSS tacking just before the eye of the storm, however 70 miles from the centre with consistent wind of 50 knots and 5 metre waves, the boat violently broached. Whilst the boat was on its side and head to the wind, Alex decided to sail away from the storm's centre in a south westerly direction. Since then, Alex and HUGO BOSS have been making good progress leading the fleet south, and as the storm tracks to the east, conditions on HUGO BOSS became more manageable overnight. HUGO BOSS is now sailing at full speed downwind towards the trade winds
TRACKER
The first 7 days of racing in the Vendée Globe has seen difficult weather conditions for the IMOCA fleet. With low pressure systems scattered across the North Atlantic, the skippers have had to cross some aggressive weather fronts, followed by taking on tropical Storm Theta. During this first period of heavy weather, several boats have been unfortunate to suffer damage, including close rival Jérémie Beyou who has had to return to Les Sables d'Olonne to make essential repairs.
Until now, the fleet has remained close together as the tough conditions have not allowed the foiling boats to show their full potential. With the leaders now passed Storm Theta and approaching the more consistent trade winds, the foiling boats are expected to stretch their wings as they head towards the equator.
Technical Director Ross Daniel gives an update on how Alex is doing after the first week onboard HUGO BOSS: "Alex has managed to get himself into a great position this early in the race. On Thursday night he took a tactical decision to carry out a series of gybes back towards the low pressure system, which the rest of the leading group chose not to do. Consequently, Alex made some good gains to the south which allowed him to approach Storm Theta at a preferred angle. Over the last week Alex has worked hard to preserve the boat through variable conditions and sail fast when he can.
"Later this afternoon Alex will gybe and HUGO BOSS will start to slow down as they cross a ridge of high pressure. From tomorrow, Alex will see more consistent trade winds which will start to build and HUGO BOSS will sail on port tack all the way to the doldrums. Both Alex and the boat are in good shape."
LINKYComment
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Corum Dismasts North of Cape Verde
CORUM L'Épargne, a major player in savings solutions, announces the dismasting of the CORUM L'Épargne, skippered by Nicolas Troussel and engaged in this 9th Vendée Globe.
Nicolas Troussel is not injured. He is making the necessary maneuvers to bring the boat to safety. Dawn will allow a better assessment of the situation.
The dismasting took place while CORUM L'Épargne and Nicolas Troussel were 7th in the standings and were spinning at high speed in an early trade wind.
More information to come ...
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Beyou Is Back In The Game
This afternoon, at a press conference, Jérémie Beyou, skipper of Charal announced that he will start racing tomorrow, Tuesday afternoon.
"It's a little weird to answer the shifts off the boat but I will soon be able to take them on board because thanks to the work accomplished over the last few days, we know that the boat will be ready tomorrow morning and will leave around 3 p.m. / 3.30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon . This is great news, I wanted to thank the entire Charal Sailing Team who, as usual, gave their all day and night here in Port Olona. I also wanted to thank all the subcontractors and external service providers who have added their skills so that I can start again. The Vendée Globe is a team race and they have once again demonstrated that with willpower we can work miracles. This is great news, the race will resume , differently certainly but it will resume for me tomorrow!
The most problematic damage that made me turn around was the rudder problem, but technically the most difficult damage to repair was that of the sheet bar bulkhead, structural part of the boat. , which was completely broken. It was first necessary to have the damage appraised, to see how far the water had infiltrated and therefore to see what had to be repaired, to put forward the hypotheses of repair and reinforcement on both sides. So it took a lot of skills to fix it in record time with bad weather. It was also necessary to deal with problems with the wind vane, the aerials which had been changed, the mainsail which had been damaged in the various consecutive gybes.
I'm not used to telling stories and not telling the truth, it's not easy: I went through all the states but it's true that I was happy to be outside of it , here in Les Sables d'Olonne, I needed to cut myself off from the boat and from racing. I did not look at the rankings, I "zapped" the social networks and for all that, I wanted to be next to my team who was working so that I could start again. I have great confidence in my team and even if the first night, I received a message telling me that it was going to be difficult to repair on time, deep down I knew they were going to get there.
It allowed me to recharge my batteries and see the enthusiasm that there was behind the project and all the emotion it created in people, the will of the public, Charal employees, the media, friends. I had to go back!
I didn't quite cut it either and I learned about Nicolas (Troussel) dismasting this morning: I'm super sad for him and his whole team. I know all the energy it takes to get a project like this going and to have a Vendée Globe. It is terrible. I think of them a lot today.
Somehow, seeing all these people gives you more choice. You go to try to win a race and all that is behind me, you have to build something different and that, of course, helps. All the words I got are just crazy. Before the start, on November 8, a lot of people asked me if it was going to change something that there was no one in the channel and I found that not bad because it created less emotion. But no, it was missing. And there I had my dose when I came back and it made me happy.
I tried to plan everything on a day-to-day basis in the preparation, by the hour or even the minute for the days before the race and the first days of the race. When you take everything on your head like this, you tell yourself that you have to work differently. The idea now is to take the events one after the other: go home, repair, now leave and then we'll see what happens, I prefer not to wait for anything, not to set myself goals. We'll see !
On the weather side, I looked at the files, there is a first front to be passed on Tuesday which seems a little less virulent than the passage we had on November 9 and 10 but it is still a big front of near. Then there is a fairly strong downwind off Cape Finisterre which will set in. Then there is a small low off the coast of Morocco which will perhaps stop the trade winds and perhaps allow the Doldrums to spread out a bit so this is not necessarily good news. But again, I look at the situation from the start and see what happens next. I really want to be in that state of mind and I think that's what will keep me going.
I had cut the mapping and all of my Instagram subscriptions and, on purpose, left Alex's one, so I saw he was in the lead. I'm happy for him, he has a good boat and he sails well, he has had a really good trip the last few days. The start of the race was not easy and hats off to everyone who is still at sea, with all the minor damage, they are all very deserving. Now I can't wait to get back on the road.
There were about twenty people mobilized around the repairs, the architects and structurers, all the people who take care of the lamination and the composite and then all the logistical support behind, the people who redone the fittings, the North Sails sailmaker, I don't know how many people got involved in all but it's just crazy! We must respect the work that has been done and start again! A big thank you to everyone, these are the people we work with all year round and there they once again put a crazy energy back into it, it's a crazy team! "
https://www.vendeeglobe.org/fr/actua...part-en-courseComment
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