Nicolas Lunven, 6th to round Cape Horn in the Vendée Globe
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 28 Dec 2024 06:02 PST
28 December 2024
Nicolas Lunven on Holcim-PRB - Vendée Globe 2024 © Adrien Nivet / polaRYSE
After 47 days of racing, Nicolas Lunven crossed the third and final cape of this Vendée Globe this morning under challenging conditions.
At 5:31 am (French time), the bow of Holcim-PRB rounded Cape Horn far offshore from Tierra del Fuego, just 15 minutes after Jérémie Beyou on board Charal. Nicolas is the sixth solo sailor in this Vendée Globe to pass Cape Horn, leaving the Pacific Ocean behind to tackle the ascent of the Atlantic.
In a video received this morning, the skipper of Holcim-PRB described harrowing conditions as he approached the cape, escaping the Southern Ocean: "We're far out, you can't see Cape Horn. The conditions are rough. Last night, it was 30-35 knots of wind and a chaotic sea. I'd never seen anything like it! We were slamming into waves as if sailing upwind, and burying the bow into the next wave all the way to the mast. I broached even though I was under-canvassed."
It's no surprise that Nicolas barely allowed himself to savor this key moment in the race. Especially since the battle to return to Les Sables d'Olonne will remain intense. The pressure from his pursuers will not relent over the 7,000 miles ahead. Determined, the skipper aims to continue his focused work from the start. His immediate goal is to maximize the potential of a weather system that promises to be complex, at least until Rio.
"There was a lot of wind passing Cape Horn, and now it's going to die down abruptly in the lee of the Andes. This transition to the South Atlantic will be brutal. First, we'll need to navigate through an area of light winds. Then, the climb up the South Atlantic looks quite complicated, with a lot of upwind sailing and dynamic systems (like low-pressure centers) causing many changes in wind strength and direction. That means plenty of sail changes, reefing, and stacking weight around. It won't be smooth sailing. It's going to be quite challenging, at least until Cabo Frio, near Rio. So, that's 8 to 10 days of tough upwind conditions," predicts Nicolas.
The three weeks of this Atlantic ascent will require unyielding mental strength and sharp decision-making to choose the best route and limit opportunities for the chasers. While Nicolas sailed in tandem with Jérémie Beyou throughout nearly the entire Pacific, their duel is no longer isolated. Paul Meilhat and Boris Herrmann have joined the game, trailing Holcim-PRB by just 75 and 93 nautical miles, respectively. All four are now advancing within the same weather system.
"We would have liked to stay alone with Jérémie, but now we have a little group that has joined us. The weather scenario hasn't been in our favor. The boats ahead managed to sail a straight section, while those behind did the same and caught up. Meanwhile, we were caught between two systems, making countless gybes. Now we're grouped tightly in the same weather system. I would have preferred they stayed well behind. But that's how it is; it's going to make for an exciting fight going forward," explains Nicolas.