Vendée Globe – Light winds in Atlantic and gale warning in the Pacific

by Vendée Globe on 24 Dec 2016 While Armel Le Cléac'h is waiting for the wind to return, Alex Thomson is sailing at more than 20 knots towards Cape Horn.

Hugo Boss is sailing with southerly winds at more than 20 knots towards Cape Horn on starboard tack, the good tack for his remaining foil. In the Atlantic Ocean, the wind is very light for Banque Populaire VIII, but it should only last a few hours. The small depression which is going to pass to the North of Alex Thomson should bring a good northerly air stream for Christmas to Armel Le Cleac'h. Having lost a part of his lead, he should be sailing at the same speed as Hugo Boss from tomorrow.

Jérémie Beyou is sailing ahead of a depression with northerly winds which could accompany him all the way to Cape Horn. Jean-Pierre Dick is the only one of the three chasing boats to have little wind. The situation between the two depressions is complex for them. Yann Eliès and Jean Le Cam will have to wait a few hours before they find steadier winds. Louis Burton is close to a depression which is coming down from New Zealand. He is sailing upwind in winds in excess of 35 knots, waiting for the wind to back to the north tomorrow. Nandor Fa and Conrad Colman should keep progressing well during the next few days.

The situation is more delicate for the group which goes from Arnaud Boissières to Fabrice Amadeo. A depression is going to deepen very quickly on the 26th to the south of Tasmania. It will be south of New Zealand a few hours later with 8 to 10 meter high waves and gusts of more than 70 knots. The scenario is close to the one that Thomas Ruyant experienced at the beginning of the week. None of the skippers of this group can escape and get ahead of the front. It is thus likely that some will slow down, as Yann Eliès did twice, to let this depression escape in front of them.

Finally, the group composed of Didac Costa, Pieter Hereema, Romain Attanasio and Sébastien Destremau are likely to experience a storm which is moving in from the West tomorrow. Thus the day after Christmas should be windy for a large part of the fleet.