Vendée Globe: Setback for speedster Sébastien Simon as starboard foil breaks

The amazing run of French skipper Sébastien Simon, who is lying second on the Vendée Globe hit a significant setback with the news emerging today that Les Sables d’Olonnne based skipper has sustained a broken starboard foil on his IMOCA Groupe Dubreuil.

I’m going to go all the way. I’m managing to contain the lead I have over the rest of the fleet for the moment and I’m sure that the round the world race still has some great surprises in store for us. That’s part of the game, it’s a mechanical sport. Now it’s about staying focused and having fun
SébastienSimonGroupe Dubreuil

It is a brutal blow for the skipper who since the South Atlantic has been presenting a serious challenge to race leader Charlie Dalin, but whilst Simon is bitterly disappointed he immediately pledged to fight on and finish the race. After days of supersonic speeds (including the record for the greatest distance covered in 24 hours solo in a monohull: 615.33 miles covered between 26 and 27 November) Simon had benefited from a brilliant strategy but now he will inevitably slow up, losing power on port gybe. 

"Bad news aboard Groupe Dubreuil. Last night, I lost the starboard foil. I was sleeping when the boat suddenly broached. I went into the cockpit to ease the sheets. I quickly sensed from the feel that something was wrong, the boat was no longer responding in the same way. I quickly understood what it was. I went to check on deck and the foil was broken at the elbow, the most curved part of the foil,” reported Simon, who did not hear any significant noise, possibly because he had his earplugs which is very normal among skippers to limit the constant debilitating noise and facilitate sleep. 

“It’s all the more frustrating as I’ve been eased back for several days because of the sea conditions. I was trying to preserve the equipment as much as possible while keeping in mind my goal of getting to the finish the Vendée Globe,” said Simon who is doubly resolute after having to retire into Cape Town from the 2020 race after suffering damage to his starboard foil but much more seriously his foil casing. 

“It’s really very hard to take. In any case, the race isn’t over. I’m going to go all the way. I’m managing to contain the lead I have over the rest of the fleet for the moment and I’m sure that the round the world race still has some great surprises in store for us. That’s part of the game, it’s a mechanical sport. Now it’s about staying focused and having fun,” added Simon 

"On port tack I'm going to lose around 30% of speed, which is significant, but my starboard foil is good and we've already done a good proportion of this round the world race on port tack," noted Simon.

Down in power

For Simon the handicap will obviously not be easy to manage but nothing is ever straightforward on the Vendée Globe as the race leader, Charlie Dalin, skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance recalled, describing he recent tussle with the giant low pressure system. 
“ It was quite tough to manage to stay ahead of this monster low pressure. I really tried to squeeze every tenth of a knot out of the boat to gain every metre to the East. Several times, I felt the breath of the depression on my neck. Fortunately, it went well", explained Daln. 

 But even firmly in the lead Dalin is, as usual, sanguine and objective: 

"Those behind (Yoann Richomme and Thomas Ruyant, editor's note) will come back with the system which will eventually catch up with me. The gaps will therefore narrow over the next few days", assured Charlie Dalin who has, for the time being, is between 250 and 500 miles ahead of his closest rivals.

"It's not bad," admitted the sailor from Le Havre, who is due to cross the longitude of Cape Leeuwin tomorrow morning. "The Kerguelen Islands are already 1,500 miles behind me, even though I feel like I passed them yesterday or the day before. Time continues to pass quickly on this round the world race. Declared Dalin. 
 
500 miles ahead for Charlie, he's still catchable!
YoannRichommePAPREC ARKÉA

In third place Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), speaking on the same Vendée LIVE! French show as his long time rival Dalin said, “500 miles ahead for Charlie, he's still catchable! On this morning's routing, the weather is pretty favourable for those ahead. I've got the impression that I'm going to be caught behind, but I'm just saying that... The weather modelling isn't very reliable, so you never really know! Between now and Cape Horn, either the scenario for them (Dalin and Simon) will seal their destiny or they'll make us come back. Tonight we're going to pick up 30-35 knots of wind!”