VG Day 46, Beyou looks ahead with envy

Even if they are slowed periodically, the leading trio are still making northwards progress in the Atlantic and the fact that the weather and sea state has never been conducive to the second group closing miles back to within what might resemble ‘catching distance’ irks some within this group.

When the top trio seem to have been gifted the best weather conditions it is clearly difficult to avoid the green eyed monster. A certain level of jealousy is evident on this Boxing Day even if is it is mixed with respect and admiration for a job done well so far. 

Jérémie Beyou (Charal) was widely tipped to finish on the podium. In fifth he clearly has the view the top two feel untouchable. At a day and a half out of Cape Horn, he reflects: “Now I work hard with what I have, I fight with my conditions, I don't give up! I get what I can out of the boat telling myself that I have to keep a bit of margin, telling myself that there might be opportunities on the way north but it seems impossible to me to come back to the first two, statistically it seems impossible to me unless there is a cataclysm, even third seems complicated to me.”

Looking ahead with envy
The three times winner of La Solitaire du Figaro on his fifth Vendée Globe ruminates, “Ahead, the whole Pacific they have made very few maneuvers, and big straights. Boris's group too, they have made a big straight line. And in front of us, there is a wall, so each time we accelerate we slow  in front, Thomas (Ruyant) too, and the whole group behind will come back. So it's definitely not a very pleasant feeling to have given up 2000 miles to the guys in front, and to see people coming back that I hadn't seen since the Equator, it's definitely not easy to manage mentally. I knew that at least we were going to lose 700-800 miles with the depression in the Indian Ocean where we were forced to go North with Nico, but from there to make it 2000 miles... I was far from imagining it! I thought we would have opportunities to come back, we have zero, on the contrary it's those behind who have had some! Really it’s a Big South that will not have been nice for us! Thomas and Nico are in the same boat, it's the weather that decides, now is there any justice in that?..... no, not really!”

A tough horn
And the second group are going to have tough conditions into and at Cape Horn as Beyou explains, 

“At some point we will manage to settle in on port with a slightly more northerly wind that will strengthen, I think we will take a big hit before the Cape, with the sea that will remain very hard and very short, as we have had since the beginning of the Pacific, so we will have a Horn with around forty knots and 5 meter troughs, very short seas. The arrival at the Horn must be done according to what we do afterwards. If you want to do the inside the Falklands thing you have to hug the Horn, if you want to continue along the ZEA, you can do the big tour. We will still have less easy conditions than the first ones, with significant winds too. The situation behind, we will keep the end of this depression a little after the passage, with a northwesterly wind, so we will stay on port tack for a little while, and then there will be a migratory anticyclone to form, there it is still not clear enough, but these are not very fast conditions, once again far from those that Richomme has, he left Cape Horn at 25 knots, he was on the highway, they have the luck that will not leave them until Les Sables d'Olonne. Good for them. For behind, it is much more complex and much less fast! What I find more difficult this year is really that, the chain of weather systems which is difficult. On my previous Vendée, I had conditions that were not easy but opportunities to come back, the conditions were a little better distributed and that each had something to exploit and it was not just in one direction! It was less blocked! Since I showed up in the Indian, I feel like I have a barrier in front of me all the time, something I'm stumbling into.” 

It's the weather that decides, now is there any justice in that?..... no, not really!
JérémieBeyouCHARAL

Leaders race to the downwind, Rio for Sunday?
And this group remains tight and compact. All in it know that  fourth at least is within their grasp but it will be all too easy to fall out of the top 10, especially given the level of talent within this pack. Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) is still in wolf mode,  fighting for miles in the south. His approach to the Horn is likely to be tinged with mixed emotions, he knows that he has the best boat for the tougher conditions but, like for everyone, a big blow at the end of a hard, tiring Pacific is really not ideal. And, as Beyou reports they are tired after making so many back to gybes, their course tracing a tight sawtooth along the AEZ. 

The two leaders are crossing the axis of part of the South Atlantic high. Thy have about another 100 or so miles in lighter airs before they should get into a SE’ly under a low pressure system which will take them at good speeds towards Rio. It is little wonder they are the envy of the fleet.  Charlie Dalin has closed back to within a handful of miles of leader Yoann Richomme,  both knowing only too well that whoever gets to the downwind first will jump further ahead.