And after the breakaway…. the comeback. As is very often the case in the Southern Ocean, big breakaways caused by one weather system are rarely maintained on the Vendée Globe and today the tables have turned a little more in the favour of those immediately behind the top two skippers, leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil).

 

Whilst Dalin – who crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin this afternoon – has been slowed to around 12-15kts at times today, Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) and Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) – have been the fastest in the fleet and in the last 36 hours have seen their deficit to Dalin reduced by some 200 miles to a much more tenable 330 nautical miles this afternoon. 

 

Leeuwin and the Lioness
The race leader crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin at 14:12:58hrs UTC, after 29d 02h 10min 58s of racing, thereby just missing out on Armel Le Cléac'h’s 2016 record of 28d 20h 12m. Cape Leeuwin, the second of the course’s three great Capes was named on December 7th 1801 after the Dutch ship Leeuwin (The Lioness) which sailed round Australia, rounding the Cape in March 1622. 

 

But there is little respite in the big south, there are slender high pressure ridges of lighter airs but it seems the lows are relentless. "In theory, I was told that there were ridges to pass between each depression. I find that they are really short, really!" 

 

 

In theory, I was told that there were ridges to pass between each depression. I find that they are really short, really! joked charismatic race rookie Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur - Duo for a job), this morning during the official session, adding that he feels the systems are playing a game of Pac-Man with him, the game where a character in the shape of a yellow circle with a mouth swallows pac-gums. 

 

"We're all in single file and we're all getting eaten one after the other," laughed the adventurer turned sailor who has slanted north his route for the past two days to avoid being eaten too quickly. 

 

A learning experience for the baby lions
"The depression we hit south of South Africa calmed us all down, us little Vendée Globe rookies. We wanted to take the shortest route, follow the great circle, but we got hit with 50 knots. Tanguy (Le Turquais) broke his battens, Violette (Dorange) had a scare and I filled the boat with a wave. Since then, we've all gotten back in line!" commented Ferré "In this Vendée Globe, we're all a bit different jungle animals. In the group, Jean (Le Cam) is the elephant. He has an ancestral memory and therefore, intuitively, he knows how to avoid dangers. We are the young, fiery ones the young Lions and we learn as the race progresses."

 

Learning by doing…
And lion-hearted Brit Pip Hare seems to be truly in her element, pulling back many miles on 15th placed Romain Attanasio (FORTINET BEST WESTERN). She enthused, “It has been a pretty mental night out here. I have a 35 knot average windspeed, I have up to 38-39kts in the gusts, the sea state is 4-4.5m waves. I am quite pleased though as Medallia is going well, it is a big learning process for me, how do you learn to regulate these boats in conditions like this? You can’t train here! I am learning a lot, a lot about using the foils, how much to use the foils, so I am feeling my way a bit, and maybe getting a little braver each time, so I am getting a lot of pleasure here, it is all going in the knowledge bank. It is exciting and I am excited to be catching up Romain again, it is great for me. It is just full on! I can’t describe it. The noise, the G Force, the intensity, the your brain is working all the time. Trying to do anything at all takes major planning. It is one of the most intense tests you can put a human being through. And we are racing! It is nuts. But Pip is good!”

 

For the hunters like Ruyant who has been advancing fast with Richomme in 35-40 knots of wind and big seas it is truly relentless,"Since yesterday evening, the conditions have been very hard. You have to be on top of it. The head of the fleet has taken a bit of a lead. You mustn't lose the rhythm. When there is an opportunity or something to take, you have to be there.”

 

And they, especially are up against it. Tomorrow evening, a ridge of high pressure might cut them off and allow Charlie Dalin, and perhaps Sébastien Simon too, to really extend away once again.

 

Photo sent from the boat PAPREC ARKÉA during the Vendee Globe sailing race on December 09, 2024. (Photo by skipper Yoann Richomme)