The ideal route, in theory and observation

by Philippe Jeantot on 29 Nov 2000 In the first Vendée Globe back in 1989, no-one had sailed this course. The skippers started with absolutely no reference point.

In order to trace in theory the ideal route before the start, we had at our disposal only the pilot charts (upon which the force & direction of the wind over several routes are mapped at every 1 degree).

The knowledge of these weather systems was minimal then. For this edition the observation and validation on the race course of these theories conceived on land could be given with more precision. Each Vendée Globe, such knowledge is refined. And so today we have arrived at a theoretical route based on both logic and observation.

In order to establish a ranking, which takes into account the shape of such a race, one has to, on this 'ideal course', put in 'milestones' or way points, from which we can count the distance to finish. We calculate the miles to go by counting the distance of the boat to the next way point, which we then add to the distance from this way point to the finish line.

Taking into account the shape of this race, we have placed 36 way points, which are either marks of the course, obligatory points of passage, boundary markers in the Southern Ocean or simply guiding points for making the best route. The theoretical route is 23896 miles long. Until this day, all of the skippers have stayed pretty much faithful to this route.

Alone, Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool) in passing the Doldrums, took an extreme option East and was thus penalised with a greater distance to go than the others in the calculations to the nearest way point. Today she is on the inside track and now has an advantage from this system. No method is perfect, and we have to establish a ranking somehow. This method is the most representative and fair of all those we have looked at.

As for negotiating the Saint Helen high pressure system, 16 boats up ahead are racing down a corridor of about 2 degrees in width, or 120 miles. It is no surprise or danger that everyone is rushing to get onto this narrow track: it's the best route. This Vendée Globe shows yet again that if someone wanted to take a direct route from the Equator right down to the Cape of Good Hope, it would certainly be the shortest route, but they would get there long after the rest of the fleet. The boats may travel a longer distance but it will be on a more logical route, as it is faster in the long term.

The ideal course in the Southern Hemisphere is paradoxically near to identical to the shortest route as well. Thanks to the Westerly winds which will be behind the boats, the shortest route shaves past the way points, which mark boundaries to stop the fleet from descending further South.

The definitive rules for the Southern Ocean part of the race are as follows:

The skippers must leave:
1) Antartic leave to starboard
2) Heard Islands leave to starboard
3) Following GPS points: leave to starboard
4) A point which is situated at 50°S, between 85°E & 95°E,
5) A point which is situated at 57°S, between 150°E & 140°W (modification : Appendix n°1 in Race Rules),
6) A point which is situated at 57°S, between 125°E & 115°W,
7) A point which is situated at 57°S, between 72°E & 62°W.
8) Cape Horn leave to port

During the tour of the Southern Oceans, the rule will be to stay in the North of the centre of the low pressure systems, which go from West to East, in order to benefit from Westerly winds and sail in downwind conditions.

Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations), still in the lead, is making his mark on this race track with an infernal rhythm. He is beginning to turn around the anticyclone and edge his way towards the East in winds, which are gradually becoming more and more downwind. At this rate, his entry into the roaring 40's will be sooner rather than later.

Radio Chat Extracts

Raphaël Dinelli (Sogal Extenso): 'Still in the trades which have increased to 20 knots. Being back on the boat has been hard going as I only started up the project in May. After the Canaries I was able to get into the game. When everything's ready, I hope to gain some places from my efforts. I am impressed by the way Yves is doing. I know his philosophy - make it or break it!'

Didier Munduteguy (DDP 60° Sud): 'I am sailing in a SE trade wind, quite steady but a horrid sea, really cut up. I can't go too fast in this. I expected the sea to be a nice swell, no more than that. I am taking this descent South slowly. My plan is to prepare the boat for the Southern Ocean so the work I have done in the last 4 years will not go to waste and give me the chance to experience these seas.'

Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool): 'I am looking back over my weather sessions with Bernot & Lasnier and above all charging my own batteries. I said 3 days ago that the gaps would extend passing the anticyclone, but I think that there is a little group of us who will get through with good winds. Rounding the anticyclone, Yves is going to get the most important wind. He hasn't finished getting away from us. I am impressed by the way he handles his boat, his unstoppable motivation, his temperament.'

Dominique Wavre (Union Bancaire Privée): 'I'm going at 4-5 knots! I must be behind a squall. So annoying! You always think you are the only one like this when it happens. The sea is building a little and I'm not sure how it will be the further South I go. I am sewing up the end of my genoa while I'm here. There's a gust coming so I better go and get on deck...'

Marc Thiercelin (Active Wear): 'The wind is starting to fill in, so I can push the boat. Right now I'm going at 12 - 13 knots. I am forever staring at my gooseneck and saying: 'If you break I'll hit you so hard, d'you understand?'. Some days I really pull my hair out as my options haven't worked out. It's crushing for the morale and I hope that it won't continue all the way round as I would hate to finish last!'

Javier Sanso (Old Spice): 'My watermaker isn't working. I'll be able to fix it later on as the boat is all over the place here. I have water supplies for a month so we'll see. I have a waypoint at 25 degrees West 30 degrees South but I don't think I can make it as the wind is more SSE now. If I go upwind more the boat gets a pounding and the rig really suffers. It's been like this for three days now. So I have kept my max speed at 9/10 knots to save the boat.'

Fedor Konyoukhov (Modern University for the Humanities) by email: 'I am 5 degrees above the Equator the wind is 3-5 knots, shifting from S to E, the boat is sailing 2-3 knots. I just finished with my right rudder.

I stopped the water leaking, water is not coming in, but I am not sure whether it is because the boat is sailing slowly and there is not big pressure on the rudder, or because I did good job? I haven't got many choices to speed up the boat, since I had to get rid of light genoa with furling system in Les Sables. It's not a good time to read some books or write skipper notes, when you are drifting with 2 knots. During such difficult hours I prefer not to think much, but to work physically to get rid of unpleasant thoughts.'