Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne Race update: Wipe the slate clean and start over?

by Julia Huvé 11 Jul 2020 06:42 AEST 9 July 2020
Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne Race standings - 10th July 15h00 UTC © IMOCA

This evening, all the competitors in the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne have rounded the virtual IOC-UNESCO mark, Clément Giraud (Vers un monde sans Sida) bringing up the rear more than a day behind the leaders.

The instability of the breeze over the past 24 hours has favoured the bunching up of the head of the fleet and ridden roughshod over the hierarchy. En route for the 'Gallimard' mark, a ridge of high pressure and a low pressure system will provide the main obstacles. In the next 48 hours, no one can realistically lay claim to the top spot in the long term...

This Friday 10th July, after a night in overdrive to get the boats making headway in a very fickle wind, there are numerous grey areas colouring the ranking. As grey as the sky and sea, which are enveloping part of the fleet of solo sailors on this sixth day of racing. The first chasing pack has managed to catch up with yesterday's escapees Ruyant/Dalin/Beyou and a line of six boats are now leading the chase down to the next waypoint of Gallimard, located some 750 miles ahead of the front runners, offshore of the Bay of Biscay.

Crazy times up front

Along this new start line, which extends out from east to west for around sixty miles, everyone seems to have positioned their pawns to tackle the obstacles looming over the horizon for the end of this week, namely the negotiation of a wide ridge of high pressure and then a low pressure system.

Between Charlie Dalin (Apivia), the furthest west, and Kevin Escoffier (PRB) in the far east, Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), Jérémie Beyou (Charal), Samantha Davies (Initiatives- Cœur) and Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer - YC de Monaco), the new champion of the leader board, everyone has chosen their routes.

There's a bit of physical as well as nervous fatigue in the ranks as the slightest gain is constantly called into question, according to the weather phenomena lining up along the solo sailors' route and the countless technical glitches. On this subject, Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) spent the whole night battling against the unknown (net? plastic?) to try to find an explanation for his sudden speed deficit. Two steps backwards and a good siesta subdued the mysterious stalling, which had been causing him some grief. Having perked up, the sailor seemed to be back on track this afternoon and ready to vie for his crown again. On a reach in a medium wind and smooth seas, his blue boat looked to be enjoying slipping along at 18 knots. It'll be important to make the most of this fleeting yet intoxicating ride because the first wave of competitors will soon stumble into a massive ridge of high pressure, which is creating holes in the breeze across virtually the entire width of the Atlantic. As a result, the front runners will slow again this evening with some further surprises in store on the cartography.

Valuable new data

Beyond the racing that is delighting spectators, the protagonists in the Vendée Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne all echo the sentiment that the event is a very useful exercise going forward. The first part of the race may not have been entirely pleasurable for the sailors, but it has provided them with an unexpected opportunity to beef up their preparations for the Vendée Globe. Every manœuvre, every tack, every adjustment, every glitch, every hour of life aboard in solo format serves as additional data, which will guide them on their voyage around the world. Whether they're at the front of the pack or the back, the sailors are delighted about that. From Isabelle Joschke (MACSF), 7th, who admits that she's giving her all to be in on the action, to Manu Cousin (Groupe SETIN), 15th, who celebrated his 53rd birthday this lunchtime at 62 degrees north, the reasoning is the same: the experience gleaned from this race takes precedence.

Quotes from the boats:

Isabelle Joschke (MACSF)

"The upcoming battle and the chance to catch up with the lead boats is fabulous. To be in the match, have boats close by and be able to compare performances reminds me a bit of the Solitaire du Figaro! On top of being motivating, it's also enabling me to discover and learn a great deal in terms of speed, trimming and handling the boat.

I'm giving it all I've got but the objective is to rack up experience. The sailing conditions are great because the seas are flat, yet at the same time the wind is very shifty. There are gusts that drop in on us and as the air is very dense (due to the low temperatures), the boat immediately heels over. There are also big light patches and the boat comes to a standstill. That requires you to be on top of the trimming, up on deck, and it requires a lot of energy. Other than that, I'm doing good, better than yesterday because after the IOC-UNESCO waypoint, I noticed that I was very tired from the start of my race. I needed to sleep and recover. It's a bit of a transition phase in the race. Generally, I need four days to really get into my stride. As such, I got a fair amount of sleep this morning and I think I've recovered well. I'm on form again now and that will be crucial for tackling the transition at the end of the day, which will be important. The boat's going well. There are some small issues, but for now it's manageable. Let's hope it all holds out till the end!"

Miranda Merron (Campagne de France)

"Grey. Cold. Some really very unpleasant sailing conditions - for hours the wind has been completely fickle at between 12 and 20 knots with a 30-degree shift which wasn't forecast. I still have some work to do on the pilots as I'm continuing to manually adjust my heading. And now the wind has completely died away, but the same cannot be said of the sea state! Conditions will improve, I hope! I haven't lost hope that I'll be able to sleep."

Manu Cousin (Groupe SÉTIN)

"I treated myself to a fine present by hunting down the IOC-UNESCO waypoint! It's incredible to be at 62 degrees north. I'd have never believed I'd be so far north, especially on my birthday. I'm happy but a bit tired, as the conditions are very fickle. There have been lots of manoeuvres. Last night for example, I didn't get a lot of sleep. It's a bit like the doldrums in the cold! Everything around me is grey with some cloudy spells. I was expecting to feel colder. It's 6/8 degrees under the cuddy but we're actually pretty well protected in our boats, the seas aren't bad and I'm close-hauled.

I'm a bit disappointed with the start to my race, as I took some time to get into the swing of it. That said, there are a lot of positives too: I've discovered some problems around the keel ram, which means we can resolve all that this summer. As far as the rest is concerned, the boat's going really well technically. It's been very worthwhile doing this race. I came in search of experience and I'm having fun, even if it took me a day or two to feel good."

Ranking on Friday 10 July (16:00 French time, 17 skippers on the racetrack)

1 – Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer – Yacht Club de Monaco) 1 269.1 miles from the finish
2 – Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) 3.5 miles behind the leader
3 – Kevin Escoffier (PRB) 4.0 miles behind the leader
4 – Sam Davies (Initiatives-Cœur) 5.0 miles behind the leader
5 – Jérémie Beyou (Charal) 5.1 miles behind the leader
6 – Charlie Dalin (Apivia) 9.8 miles behind the leader
7 – Isabelle Joschke (MACSF) 15.7 miles behind the leader
8 – Yannick Bestaven (Maître-CoQ IV) 33.6 miles behind the leader
9 – Fabrice Amedeo (Newrest – Art & Fenêtres) 52.8 miles behind the leader
10 – Clarisse Crémer (Banque Populaire X) 60,9 miles behind the leader

Retirements : Armel Tripon (L’Occitane en Provence), Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL), Sébastien Simon (ARKÉA PAPREC)

Find out more at www.imoca.org/en/races/imoca-globe-series/vendee-arctique-les-sables-d-olonne

Related Articles

Goodchild takes his first win in the IMOCA Class
After a dominant performance in the Course des Caps The British skipper Sam Goodchild celebrated his first victory in the IMOCA Class yesterday after crossing the finish line of the Course des Caps - Boulogne-sur-Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, a 1,800-nautical mile sprint around Britain and Ireland. Posted today at 6:47 am
Biotherm has arrived in Kiel
Ahead of the Start of The Ocean Race Europe on 10th August At 1:00 am on Saturday 5 July, Biotherm came alongside in Kiel's marina, north-east Germany, following a 48-hour delivery trip across the Baltic Sea. Posted today at 5:51 am
Team Malizia secures 4th in Course des Caps
After thrilling high-speed finale to Boulogne-sur-Mer After six days of intense racing around the British Isles, Team Malizia crossed the finish line in Boulogne-sur-Mer to secure an impressive fourth place in the Course des Caps 2025. Posted on 5 Jul
Holcim-PRB finishes 3rd in the Course des Caps
Despite a bowsprit failure occurring just 40 nautical miles from the finish After 6 days, 4 hours, and 26 minutes of intense sailing around the British Isles, the Holcim-PRB crew crossed the finish line of the Course des Caps Boulogne-sur-Mer – Banque Populaire du Nord, completing a route as demanding as it was strategic. Posted on 5 Jul
MACIF Santé Prévoyance wins Course des Caps Race
An exceptional performance in terms of speed and focus throughout the race This Saturday, July 5, the IMOCA MACIF Santé Prévoyance crossed the finish line of the Cape Race in Boulogne-sur-Mer in first place. After six days at sea, the crew achieved an exceptional performance in terms of speed and focus throughout the race. Posted on 5 Jul
Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section. Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again? Posted on 4 Jul
2025 Transat Café L'OR is packed with surprises
73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th 73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandy. Posted on 4 Jul
Onboard reporters in the Course des Caps
Enjoying the challenge of bringing the race to life In the Course des Caps - Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, the Onboard Reporters, or OBRs, are back doing a wonderful job of bringing IMOCA racing to life with pictures, videos, interviews and reports from the boats. Posted on 3 Jul
Tom Dolan in the Course des Caps update
The IMOCA 60 Charal has "Switched to Full Throttle" Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan is now four days into racing aboard the high-performance IMOCA 60 Charal, skippered by French sailing legend Jérémie Beyou, as part of the prestigious Course des Caps. Posted on 3 Jul
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Sydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to ExhibitSea Sure 2025