Rich Wilson making steady progress towards Monday Vendee Globe finish
by Vendee Globe media on 8 Mar 2009
Great American III. François Van Malleghem / DPPI / Vendée Globe Vendee Globe 2008
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In 1980 he was the youngest skipper to win his class in the Newport to Bermuda Race. This afternoon, less than that classic course distance, 635 miles, is all that separates Rich Wilson from the finish of his incredible Vendée Globe.
Wilson may have been setting his mind to trigonometry, explaining the zig and zag of net downwind progress, but he has the Great American III making steady speeds in about 15 knots of westerly breeze, heading directly at Les Sables d’Olonne this afternoon.
Regardless of speeds, VMG is always king of the stats columns and Rich is posting between 8 and 10 knots VMG over the last 24 hours, which in anyone’s Vendée Globe world is meaningful progress. At this point two weeks ago Steve White would have bitten your arm off for eight or ten knots of VMG towards the finish. In speed Wilson is polled at 11.4 knots this afternoon. It does seem likely that it will be later Monday or early Tuesday before the American skipper crosses the finish. Wilson would do well to take some northing while he can to get the best of the breeze in the Bay of Biscay, as the southern corner looks lighter.
Rapahel Dinelli has also been making good speeds as well, 11.0 knots on Fondation Océan Vital. He is 1217 miles from the finish now and indications are that his boom repair is holding up well as he posts consistent speeds to the NW of the Azores.
With 400 miles still to go to the Azores Norbert Sedlacek is also in good shape on Nauticsport-Kapsch. He is likely to finish around two to three days behind Dinelli though has been flirting with lighter breezes on the edge of the Azores High.
Latest ETAs March 07. 2009 at 15:55 -
Based on this morning's weather charts and positions, Météo France has come up with the following ETAs for the next three boats.
- Great American III: Between 06h00 GMT on Monday 9th March and 06h00 GMT on Tuesday 10 March
- Fondation Océan Vital: Between 18h00 on 11th and 00h00 on 13 March
- Nauticsport-Kapsch: Between 18h00 on 13th and 06h00 on 15 March
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