Vendée Globe Day 9: Not Out of the Woods Yet
by Vendee Globe Media 18 Nov 2024 09:33 PST
18 November 2024
Vendée Globe leader Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) has seen his lead shrink progressively as the skippers chasing behind him and to his west have held on to wind for slightly longer than he has, the British skipper descending south into light, light airs again.
"Right now I have four knots of wind and I have to make the most of it and try and get myself out of this as fast as possible." Smiled Goodchild over his breakfast of scrambled eggs.
And in the light airs which have prevailed today to the west of the Cape Verde islands as the race enters its second week, the British leader has seen his lead reduced from over 40 miles to nine miles this Monday evening, but he remains focused whilst not taking too much from being 'leader'.
"I did not expect to be leading the Vendée Globe at a week in which is not to say I don't appreciate it and I am enjoying it. It Is pretty special. But t was not my objective at all. But it was the case that I was leading the west pack for a couple of days and the east pack were ahead of us on the chart and so then when I became leader on the chart was not a big moment at sea, like, but It is pretty special."
Lined up to restart
And this evening the Goodchild, Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) and Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) are almost lined up west to east for a mini 're-start'
Goodchild reported on the English Vendée LIVE show (1330hrs UTC each day), "The risk in terms position is Thomas Ruyant who is 100 miles to the west, I am just going through this last zone of light winds and after that we should get the closest thing we have had to Trade Winds since the beginning of the race, for a couple of days to get across the Doldrums, so it depends on how we get out of this.
"I maybe have a bit more light winds to go but a better angle coming out and a bit more options as to where I go into the Doldrums compared to Thomas to my west. I will wait and see."
Dalin: 'played the fleet not the strategy'
At the same time this morning one of the pre race favourites who led the race after Cape Finisterre Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) who is sixth noted, "I am trying to work out the best way to tackle this light winds area ahead of me. And also looking ahead to the doldrums which are looking pretty full on. I have quite a lot of things to do. I am pretty zen the Vendée Globe is such a long race there is no point in getting frustrated now. There are so many choices and options still to be made. I am as cool as I can be.
"My choices have not worked so well. The first light area we crossed a couple of days ago, I played the fleet more than the strategy. Originally I was thinking of going further south, that is why I did the double gybe off Madeira and I decided to play the bulk of the fleet, which was maybe not the best thing. But that is how it is. They are not far away. It is OK."
Beyou frustrated
The gap between the top three and the other top seeds is not easy for all of them to accept, Jérémie Beyou (Charal) admitted this this morning: "The initial idea was to go around the weak wind zone out the West. It was a carefully considered decision, I took the time to confirm my choices, I wasn't the only one to have made it, now it frustrating to see that it didn't work and that it was has been counterproductive. Now, it's going to slow down again. But everything is random, I think you have to stop thinking."
Paul Meilhat spoke on the French show, "When we have little wind like that, there can be differences in pressure that create huge gaps. Sometimes it's good for me, sometimes it's good for the others. Basically, it comes and goes. The wind will surely reshuffle the cards even if the two VULNERABLEs have already left us far behind".
Rejoining from the east
And then out to the far east route, Jean Le Cam (Tout Commence en Finistère - Armor-lux) and Kiwi Conrad Colman (AS Amlin). Both accelerated today in breeze to pass to the East of the Cape Verdes. "The Doldrums will then force them to reposition themselves to the West," suggests Christian Dumard. It looks very uncertain and random for them".
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