With some 1700 nautical miles to go to the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope the Vendée Globe leaders are having to adapt as best they can to a life at high speeds, riding the crest of a low pressure system southeastwards. It is an incredibly harsh environment but it is amazing how each of the top ten skippers seems to progressively attune themselves to the motion of their IMOCA and manage to function to keep themselves at top speeds.

Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) continues to impose the pace at the front of the fleet, making averages of 23 knots through the night, whilst limpet-like Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) hangs on to his wake at around 40 miles behind with a truly impressive consistency. Maybe this duo, having scrapped over the lead for thousands of miles on the last Vendée Globe four years ago are in some way more attuned to the pace and movement? Certainly in third place Yoann Richomme (Paprec-Arkéa) is not finding too much enjoyment in living on this runaway train. 

Unpleasant 

He grimaced, “It's really hard, as we're trying to escape with this depression, it's really such a speed race, the sea isn't too rough but the boat is still jumping in all directions, it's going very fast, it's really quite unpleasant. It's not very reassuring when you think of the boat and the equipment either! I'm still managing to live on board, I've just found a happy medium between speed and not doing stupid things, but it's still complicated and not very pleasant. I don't really like this group that's really going for it anyhow, I'm part of it but I don't think we're going to be able to last like this for two months! Maybe I'll get into my rhythm at some point, but it's extremely hard!”

It's really hard, as we're trying to escape with this depression, it's really such a speed race, the sea isn't too rough but the boat is still jumping in all directions, it's going very fast, it's really quite unpleasant. It's not very reassuring when you think of the boat and the equipment either! I'm still managing to live on board, I've just found a happy medium between speed and not doing stupid things, but it's still complicated and not very pleasant.

Yoann

Richomme

PAPREC ARKÉA

Right now it is a case of hanging on to the pace and not losing miles before the bigger challenge of the Southern Ocean. Richomme considers they will pass Good Hope on Friday night or first thing Saturday morning. 

“My little move to the south is mainly due to my sail change yesterday where I got a little broach under a big gennaker, I can't tell if it's a good shift or not, I'm not sure it's great. It's rather imposed on me rather than a choice. The psychological war is more about speed in my opinion than about choices, the routing oscillates with the wind shifts! The depression is going with us, so we are sure that we with this for two another two days where we continue at this speed at least, and then we will have to re-position ourselves a little before the Cape of Good Hope, because we will be affected by another depression, but I have trouble grasping the intensity of the elements, it's not easy!” 

when the boat started to go fast you think "it's not going to be possible to live like this for several days", and in the end, you get used to it! I had trouble sleeping, now I can sleep well, I had trouble moving around the boat, now I can do it very well, so there you go, I'm getting back to life which was a bit on hold while we acclimatized to these conditions!

Benjamin

Dutreux

GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT - WATER FAMILY

It is not any easier further back in the group, Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environnemnt-Water Family) is 14th at 516 miles behind Dalin riding the tail of the low, 

Rodeo 

Dutreux reports, “Life on board for the past 48 hours has been a bit of a rodeo! But it's been incredibly smooth, the sea is a bit rough but not too bad, a bit too much for my boat all the same, I've done some great pirouettes. But it's smooth, it's great, it's a pleasure! Of course, life on board isn't always easy, especially when the boat started to go fast you think "it's not going to be possible to live like this for several days", and in the end, you get used to it! I had trouble sleeping, now I can sleep well, I had trouble moving around the boat, now I can do it very well, so there you go, I'm getting back to life which was a bit on hold while we acclimatized to these conditions! Physically and mentally, I feel pretty good, it's nice to be moving towards our goal, the big South. I had a bit of trouble mentally getting into the race at the beginning, and then, that's it, I'm fine, I'm happy to be at sea, the boat is fine, I feel good on board so that's still an important phase before tackling the piece that awaits us and that we're trying to reach as quickly as possible. The boat is fine too, I've had time to take care of it. We're trying to move forward quickly but I'm trying not to do anything crazy either! To try not to crash it too much while going fast, but I'm starting to know the boat well, so I think I'm putting the cursor in the right place, the goal is to keep it at its full potential for as long as possible!”

Some 110 miles behind him, Pip Hare (Medallia, 16th), has been in the same turbulence and seems to have consolidate her speed after a broach while, barely 30 miles to her North, Romain Attanasio (Fortinet – Best Western, 15th) is trucking along without incident. And so the challenge remains twofold, mental and physical. 

We're trying to move forward quickly but I'm trying not to do anything crazy either! To try not to crash it too much while going fast, but I'm starting to know the boat well, so I think I'm putting the cursor in the right place, the goal is to keep it at its full potential for as long as possible!”

Benjamin

Dutreux

GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT - WATER FAMILY