Photo sent from the boat Freelance.com during the Vendee Globe (Photo by skipper Guirec Soudée)
There are still 11 solo skippers climbing the Atlantic heading for Les Sables d’Olonne. Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com) should be next in on Friday or Saturday, before the quartet led by Japanese skipper Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One) which should arrive over the weekend.
Belgium’s Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group) at the back of the fleet could complete his round the world race at the end of the month. All are still pushing hard, fighting for every mile northwards, dealing with the gnawing fatigue but looking forwards to breaking the finish line whenever that will be.
Guirec Soudée, more adventures
Guirec Soudée should be next to finish but the skipper of Freelance.com, who was neck and neck with Conrad Colman in the South Atlantic for a while has had sail problems. Yesterday, his Jib Top fell into the water as the hook system broke.
"I got it back but I no longer have a spinnaker halyard and the Fr0 is all messed up at the front," he reveals. "I'm being slowed a bit!" Soudée has to be patient in the light winds of the Azores high pressure. He has no sweet food or breakfasts left,
I have to be on deck all the time, I can't rest. I can't wait for the wind to come back! It's going well, we're getting closer to home so it's cool. The files are constantly changing: I thought I'd be back on Wednesday, then Thursday, Friday... I hope Saturday will be OK! Until the finish, I'm going to have to sail close-hauled in fairly strong winds and with a big swell on the beam. It's not the most comfortable but I'm always happy at sea!
Four in a row
Six hundred miles south there are fourskippers passing west of the Azores. The group is led by Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One, 24th) who is heading for his second consecutive finish and will want to finish inside the 94 days it took him on the last race, so he has six days. He leads Violette Dorange (Devenir, 25th), Louis Duc (Fives Group Lantana Environnement, 26th) and Sébastien Marsset (Foussier, 27th).
Koji reports
,
For several days, the routing has been seeing me arrive in six days. We have to go around the high pressure area from the North and the wind is very light at the finish but I hope to be able to arrive this weekend. I am a little disappointed not to be further ahead in the race. We were unable to take advantage of a favorable wind, the climb back up to Cape Horn is very difficult and it is inevitably frustrating. But I really want to go home, see green spaces, eat fresh food and play some golf!
According to Christian Dumard, Vendée Globe weather consultant, the rest of the race looks set to be quite challenging with “lots of transitions to follow”. Such conditions that could delay their finishes a little at the end of the weekend or the beginning of next week.
Violette Dorange assures us that she is doing everything she can to stay focused on the race:
In recent days, we have been in a transition phase between the trade winds and the North Atlantic depressions. In terms of strategy, it is quite complicated because the wind is unstable. A lot can still happen! I am going to enjoy these last days. For the moment, I am trying not to think too much about the finish even though I really want to see my loved ones again. And I know that it will be a magical and very emotional moment.
Dorange laments the withdrawal of Arnaud Boissières who was alongside her for so long, "He's someone who always takes care of his boats, I was very sad for him I think about him a lot."
'Cali' continues to move towards the West: he is now just over 800 miles from the West Indies which he hopes to reach quickly.
Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier, 28th) is still working out his routing West or East of the Azores. Out of the race, Éric Bellion (Stand As One) should pass to the South of the depression that is deepening on his route.
Oliver Heer (Tut Gut., 30th) and Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 31st) crossed the equator on Sunday They are currently making hard progress in trade winds of "20 to 25 knots" according to Christian Dumard.
In addition, three other skippers are continuing the long climb in the South Atlantic. They are Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 32nd), Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans Wewise, 33rd) and Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group, 34th). Since Cape Horn, they have been making progress close-hauled.
Here are the latest arrival estimates for the next Vendée Globe competitors. ALL TIMES UTC
(ETA : Estimated Time of Arrival)
ETA
Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com): On the night of 7th to 8th February (or even 8th morning)
Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One): On the night of 9th to 10th February 2025
Violette Dorange (Devenir): On the night of 9th to 10th February 2025
Louis Duc (Fives Group - Lantana Environnement): On the night of 9th to 10th February 2025
Sébastien Marsset (Foussier): Between end of 10th February and beginning of 11th February
Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier) : 13th February 2025
Oliver Heer (TUT GUT.) : Between 16th and 17th February 2025
Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) : Between 16th and 17th February 2025
Manuel Cousin (Coup de pouce) : Between 25th and 26th February 2025
Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans - Wewise) : Between 25th and 26th February 2025
Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group) : Between 27th and 28th February 2025
Out of race:
Eric Bellion (Stand As One): 12th February 2025
These ETAs are drawn up by the Race Direction and will be updated daily.