GLOBE40 Leg 4 update: Final stretch to Valparaiso

GLOBE40 Leg 4 update: Final stretch to Valparaiso © Sirius Events

1100 miles from Valparaiso this morning, Sunday, January 18, the two leaders of Leg 4 are beginning their final stretch towards the long-awaited destination. They left the Southern Ocean 48 hours ago after a final tack near the 50° latitude limit.

Heading directly for Valparaiso, BELGIUM OCEAN RACING-CURIUM and CREDIT MUTUEL will encounter an anticyclonic system that could well reshuffle the cards; an anticyclone, a word that hasn't been uttered in a long time! The leaders have covered 5800 miles on the surface so far, at an average speed of 14.2 knots; With the remaining distance, the crews of the second edition of the GLOBE40 will have covered nearly 7,000 miles to reach the Chilean coast.

This major leg from Sydney to Valparaiso, sailed for most of the way in the Roaring Forties, was an incredible experience for the skippers, for whom it was a first, with the exception of Canadian Melodie Schaffer and Briton Alan Roberts. While the second leg, from Cape Verde to Reunion Island, was longer (8,000 miles), it was much closer to inhabited land; from the Australian continent to the coasts of the Andes Mountains, it was an experience of crossing an entire ocean, not at all a Pacific one, from west to east in a vast expanse of sea devoid of islands and traffic. The average speeds were incredibly high - 1,200 miles covered in just three days - the intensity of the competition never wavered, and in these rough seas (with waves up to 7 meters high) and with winds rarely dropping below 30 knots, the race was tough for both professionals and amateurs. It was also a first for the Class40 to venture into this terrain, previously thought to be reserved for the larger ocean racing classes (IMOCA-Ultim), and the latest generation of Class40s proved their capabilities in this environment. By now being present at the top of the offshore racing spectrum, the Class40 is opening up new horizons for development.

But beyond the sporting aspects, the human, personal experience is unique. What the skippers felt in these vast expanses, aware of their vulnerability in such wide-open spaces, is very close to what Saint-Exupéry described to us about the feelings of the Aéropostale pioneers crossing the African deserts and the South Atlantic in their unusual aircraft. Certainly, technology has evolved, but the fundamentals remain, and ultimately, it is nature that decides the fate of those who venture into these waters. Seeing the beauty of the images transmitted from the boats, symbolized by the sublime grace of the albatrosses, guardians of the southern sanctuaries, one cannot help but feel—and envy—in unison with the skippers' emotions; it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and that expression is not an exaggeration.

In terms of emotions and feelings, FREE DOM's epic journey on this 4th leg will also be a significant episode. Having set off on January 1st with the rest of the fleet, Thibaut Lefevere and Nicolas Guibal, after 200 miles, had to turn back due to damage to their rudder after an encounter with a UFO (unidentified floating object). Back in Sydney, the wait for the replacement rudder, shipped from France, was long. Setting off again in high spirits three days ago, FREE DOM had barely covered 60 miles when it was struck by lightning, resulting in a total blackout and all computer and electrical systems out of service. A moment of great discouragement followed, but the skippers resumed their journey to Sydney, once again receiving a superb welcome from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron team. Regaining their composure and having repaired most of the damage within 24 hours, Thibaut and Nicolas set off again for the third time this Saturday, January 17th, earning the admiration of the entire Sydney sailing community, which closely followed the events and expressed its admiration. The support of the other skippers, especially all the high-performance Class40 classics who have just passed the famous Point Nemo, and of the organizers has never wavered, symbols of the spirit and values upon which the GLOBE40 is built. We sincerely hope that FREE DOM will continue his long solo journey to Valparaiso without encountering any further setbacks.

Finally, as the spectacle never stops on the GLOBE40, the approaching anticyclone ahead of the two leaders may herald another suspenseful finale. In 48 hours, the gap between Benoit Hantzperg / Djemila Tassin and Antoine Carpentier / Alan Roberts has narrowed from 80 to less than 50 miles this morning, with CREDIT MUTUEL in a more favorable position as it approaches this zone of light winds. The other legs of this second edition have proven to us that nothing is impossible.

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