Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 4

Vendée Globe Day 11 morning update: Last hours in the Northern Hemisphere for HUGO BOSS

by Vendée Globe 18 Nov 2020 01:28 PST 18 November 2020
Alex Thomson set for the Vendée Globe © Alex Thomson Racing

At a little less than 100 nautical miles to the Equator at 0500hrs TU this morning Alex Thomson is into the SE'ly trade winds with his lead cut to just under 70 nautical miles. After a patchy evening and night with speeds up and down the British skipper has seen his boat speed rise on Hugo Boss to 14kts again with his course more headed, making a more SW'ly course than due south.

His closest rival, Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) was still slower on this morning's 0500hrs position report suggesting that Thomson's lead stretch once more.

Meantime the seemingly omnipresent Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam) - who, since 2004 until last edition held the record to the Equator, is third and 110 nautical miles behind the black boat Hugo Boss.

Le Cam will have been saddened by the retirement of Nicolas Troussel from the race course as they were Finisterian friends who raced the Transat Jacques Vabre together last year while Troussel waited for his new IMOCA CORUM L'Épargne to be finished. Racing in the colours of CORUM L'Epargne, the budget from the French asset and savings management brand paid for new sails for Le Cam's 2007 Farr design. Three times winner of La Solitaire du Figaro between 1994-1999, Le Cam is engaged in a close Doldrums fight with Charlie Dalin - five times on the Solitaire podium - who has the much more modern Verdier designed APIVIA 17 miles to the west of Le Cam.

"I had a squall at the start of the night, saw some lightning, but I continues to go fast, I still have about 20 knots of easterly wind," Dalin told the 5 o'clock radio call. "I look at infrared images to distinguish cloud masses, squalls; it allows us to detect their area and intensity, but not really to find the right route. We will see if it continues like this until I am out, but I am still 150 miles from the equator and anything can happen."

Saint Malo's Louis Burton is having an excellent race so far on Bureau Vallée 2, lying sixth just ahead of Sam Davies (Initiatives-Cœur) and Boris Herrmann (Seaexpolorer-Yacht Club de Monaco). Burton is armed with the boat which won the last Vendée Globe and holds the race record but he preferred to prepare in isolation, not competing in any of the IMOCA Globe Series races, nor joining the elite training group at Port-la-Fôret. But, along with Yannick Bestaven, 10th on Maitre CôQ IV 49 miles behind, this group of four were expected to have a close race within the race.

"A world away in the Bay of Biscay where after restarting yesterday evening Jérémie Beyou has just spent second 'first night' on the course, he is heading into a front. "I'm tiptoeing with things, I went a little south to avoid getting too much wind on this front. It's very weird, I'm used to having competitors around me and now you can't call this being in a race. But I want to do it right. I was buoyed by the enthusiasm, encouragement and messages from all the people who supported me. Now, I have to go on my way alone. It is also an introspective course for me. And I have to do it for me."

Find out more...

Related Articles

Vendée Globe: A record-breaking 10th edition
An unprecedented level of competition The 10th edition of the Vendée Globe ends on an exceptional note, from a sporting, popular and media point of view. The level of competition has never been so high. Posted on 26 Mar
Vendée Globe - It's a wrap
Belgian skipper Denis Van Weynbergh is back in Les Sables d'Olonne Belgian skipper Denis Van Weynbergh completes solo non stop round the world passage but finishes outside the 2024 Vendée Globe ranking. Posted on 8 Mar
Vendée Globe 2024 Documentary
An extraordinary event recaptured over 52 minutes There were 40 solo skippers who set off on November 10 in front of a cheering crowd, for a race that will go down in history. Posted on 8 Mar
Fabrice Amedeo finishes 32nd in the Vendée Globe
Only Belgian skipper Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group) is now left racing Former political journalist turned ocean racer Fabrice Amedeo completed his second Vendée Globe today (Tuesday) when he crossed the Les Sables d'Olonne finish line at 14h UTC to take in 32nd place. Posted on 4 Mar
Manuel Cousin finishes 31th in the Vendée Globe
The 57 year old ocean racer completes his second successful Vendée Globe After 111 days and 38 minutes racing since leaving Les Sables d'Olonne on 10th November French skipper Manuel Cousin crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe today at 1240hrs UTC. Posted on 1 Mar
Armel Le Cléac'h: “An epic race with a great win”
Le Cléac'h is a true Vendée Globe legend Armel Le Cléac'h won the 2016 Vendée Globe and held the Vendée Globe record for eight years. That was until Charlie Dalin came along and finally smashed it out the park this time. Posted on 28 Feb
Complex final miles for the three musketeers
Cousin, Amedeo and Van Weynbergh are into their last days racing in the Vendée Globe The last three skippers competing in the Vendée Globe are into their last days racing. Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 31st) is expected to finish on Friday. Posted on 25 Feb
Jingkun Xu finishes 30th in Vendée Globe
First Chinese skipper to finish the race Emerging jubilant from a cold final night at sea Chinese skipper Jingkun Xu fulfilled a goal which has possessed him for many years when he crossed the finish line of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe this Tuesday morning at 0708 hrs. Posted on 18 Feb
Oliver Heer finishes 29th in Vendée Globe
Swiss German solo racer fulfils a childhood dream Swiss German solo racer Oliver Heer fulfilled a childhood dream, one which he has harboured since growing up sailing as a youngster on Lake Zurich. Posted on 17 Feb
Antoine Cornic finishes 28th in Vendée Globe
Concluding an adventure that he had been nurturing for more than two decades This Friday at 13:02, after 96 days and 1 hour at sea, French solo skipper Antoine Cornic crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 28th place, concluding an adventure that he had been nurturing for more than two decades. Posted on 14 Feb
Armstrong 728x90 - HA Foil Range - BOTTOMExposure MarineNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast