Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Vendée Globe Race Thursday Update: Finding Nemo

by Vendée Globe media 19 Dec 2024 08:52 PST 19 December 2024
Conrad Colman on MS Amlin - 2024 Vendée Globe © Conrad Colman #VG2024

The three Vendée Globe leaders continue their immense battle. Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) is once again steadily building his lead over Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) who is in second this afternoon 47 miles behind. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) is third at 73 miles astern. And Friday morning (UTC) they will pass the legendary Point Nemo, the furthest point from any land.

Behind the top trio, each is pursuing their own personal agenda. The second group led by Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) in fourth gybes to head due east, Clarisse Crémer (L'Occitane en Provence) and Samantha Davies (Initiatives Cœur) are actually being punished by the weather gods for unspecified, unknown misdemeanours by having to still sail upwind. And way behind them the group led by Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 17th) are fast reaching while Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier, 32nd) and China's Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 33rd) are still dealing with strong winds.

Dalin does Dalin

He did warn his rivals yesterday: "MACIF Santé Prévoyance is back at 100%" And after that reminder Dalin has proven he is back at maximum capacity. The sailor who grew up in Le Havre and went to university in Southampton took back control of the race yesterday afternoon, and since then he has continued to be just a little bit faster than his rivals. At 1400hrs UTC Dalin's margin was 47.2 miles ahead of Richomme and now 73.7 miles ahead of Simon. Tomorrow, the trio should gybe back on to port tack which is less favourable to Simion who is missing his starboard foil.

The leaders should pass Point Nemo this Friday morning. It is the most remote point on the planet the furthest from any land. The nearest island is more than 2,600 km away and the closest humans are said to be the astronauts of the International Space Station, 400 km above the ocean! Fears of any kind of serious damage here or hereabouts is the biggest fear for any skipper as it would take about fifteen days for help to get to a sailor in distress, though of course on this race there is a certain safety in numbers unlike no other Vendée Globe. Indeed it would be true to say Point Nemo will never have seen such a procession of IMOCAs over the next three weeks!

The pursuers are on fire

Behind, 600 miles away, the pursuers are flying. Thomas Ruyant's group (VULNERABLE, 4th) is slanting north. Everyone is charging to time the perform the classic gull wing (take advantage of the wind's rotation to change gybe), to gybe and head east.

"They will be able to accelerate from tonight, with more than 20 knots of wind and a flat seas," confirms Basile Rochut, weather consultant." They will be in a southwesterly flow, which will be conducive to high speed. At the back of this group now is Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef, 11th). The Swiss skipper has worked hard to wring the most from her favourable timing at the leading edge of the front which has seen her fastest. But on board, she has suffered:

I had the toughest conditions. And I had a wind indicator issue, so I no longer had any information on the strength and direction of the wind. Everything was difficult, I had to hold on even though it was impossible to slow the boat down. I don't think I've ever had such a complicated gybe in an IMOCA."

Justine's ability to stay ahead of the front nevertheless allowed her to widen the gap with her two pursuers. Her former 'running mates' Clarisse Crémer (L'Occitane en Provence, 12th) and Sam Davies (Initiatives Cœur, 13th) are more than 800 miles behind 'Ju ju' who is becoming increasingly renowned for her tough, consistent attack.

Currently the Crémer Davies duo is making progress upwind, stuck between a ridge of high pressure and a low pressure system. This large windless zone will soon catch Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL, 16th) and already occupies Romain Attanasio (Fortinet-BestWestern, 15th). "I was stopped all night," admits Attanasio.

A little further, the group led by Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 17th), Alan Roura (Hublot, 18th), Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian, 19th) and Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère - Armor-lux, 20th) is progressing on a reaching angle that should carry them to New Zealand. They could cross the latitude of Tasmania this Friday, which will herald their arrival in the Indian Ocean. The conditions are still very lively for Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier, 32nd) ahead of a front and especially for Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 33rd) who continues to show uncompromising bravery, sailing further south. Conditions will get more intense for the Chinese skipper with a front expected to pass through on Saturday and gusts of up to 60 knots forecast.

Struggles and silver linings

Visibly from front of the flee to the back, no one is ever safe from technical problems. After 39 days at sea, a guest on Vendée Live, rookie Violette Dorange (Devenir, 25th) admitted to being "on edge" after having passed through a 50-knot squall. "My runner broke, I really thought I was going to dismast. It was very hard mentally," admitted the youngest skipper in the race.

But the news sent by the sailors in the last few hours is more reassuring. Tanguy Le Turquais (Lazare, 22nd) was thus able to resume his race after some composite repair to his hull. Louis Duc (Fives Group-Lantana Environnement, 24th) has had to repair a break in rudder connecting bar. "I transformed my cockpit into a boat yard! It took me time, energy, I'm pretty burned out... But I'm happy that the boat is back on track and that it's 100%!"

For Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group, 36th), his weather vane worries already seem to be a thing of the past. He is now making progress in the Indian Ocean on a very northerly route, not far from Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 34th) and Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans - Wewise, 35th). Above all, the 57 year old Belgian is savouring his adventure:

As long as I'm in the Vendée Globe, I'll be smiling!" There are plenty of small pick me up joys, sunsets, the sensation of the boat slipping along effortlessly, a piece of chocolate, a good coffee in a nice cup, a little aperitif the day after climbing the mast And Christmas promises to be special: there are very few people who have experienced Christmas as a Vendée Globe skippers. It's a huge stroke of luck!

Find out more...

Related Articles

Touching base with Francesca Clapcich
Francesca Clapcich on her 2028-2029 Vendee Globe campaign In late March, Italian-American sailor Francesca “Frankie” Clapcich announced that her Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing will campaign for the 2028-2029 edition of the Vendee Globe race. Posted on 13 May
An emotional evening in Les Sables d'Olonne
Les Sables d'Olonne lit up to celebrate the heroes of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 On Saturday 10 May, Les Sables d'Olonne lit up to celebrate the heroes of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025. An exceptional evening brought together tens of thousands of people, with strong emotions and unforgettable memories, despite the driving rain. Posted on 11 May
An evening honouring the Vendée Globe heroes
On Saturday, May 10, Les Sables d'Olonne will once again come alive to celebrate On Saturday, May 10, Les Sables d'Olonne will once again come alive to celebrate the epic journey of the Vendée Globe and pay tribute to the skippers of the 2024 edition, during a spectacular evening filled with emotion and festivity. Posted on 5 May
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
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 M600 FOOTERExposure Marine