Vendée Globe, sprint testing and shadowboxing

Vendée Globe leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA, 2nd) continue to accelerate northwards and should cross the equator back into the Northern Hemisphere this Sunday afternoon. In third Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) will also be able to finally build up proper speed in the SE’ly trade winds this evening.

But it is behind that the scrap over places from fourth to 10th is more intense than ever. In fifth Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) is constantly eroding the lead of fourth placed Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE, 4th). When once Ruyant was 400 miles ahead of Meilhat, that margin now is closer to 40 miles In tenth the remarkable Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef) continues her West option and may yet progress into the main body of this peloton. But really everyone in this group is fighting hard despite the handicaps for Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB) who has lost his wind instruments with his masthead unit. And this morning Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère - Armor-lux) rounded Cape Horn for the 7th time racing, yet another amazing feat in a legendary race.

As their windspeeds build into the realms of the ideal again, leading duo Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme found speed again, making averages of more than 20 knots and heading due north. They are clicking off the miles northwards with relative ease, in bright sunshine and tomorrow afternoon, they should cross the equator then the doldrums during the night from Sunday to Monday. Dalin has been able to open his lead to nearly 130 miles.  

A new order in the 'top 10'? 
After working east from his position close to the Brazilian coast Simon is into trade winds and really is looking increasingly secure for a third place which would be a great result for the 35 year old from Les Sables d’Olonne. 

“The last race for Seb was very disappointing but he really has grown up since then and found a really good boat which of course won The Ocean Race and he has done a really good job on this race, making some good, bold decisions – like in the Indian Ocean where he chose to stay with Charlie and race in the big low – and is sailing a great race, and he is clearly enjoying it.” Said Chris Pratt, IMOCA co-skipper and crew on the Vendée LIVE English show. 

As they ascend towards the next key transition, the semi permanent cold front at Cabo Frio and the high pressure ridge there, Paul Meilhat continues to take advantage of Thomas Ruyant’s problems. But they are soon to be blocked by a windless zone, "a cold front with rain and instability", explains Basile Rochut, the Vendée Globe weather consultant.

A chance for a catch up
This might be the chance for Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer, 8th) and Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE, 9th) to catch up miles they have just lost whilst snared yesterday in the centre of the low pressure system. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB, 6th) is trying to keep up the pace despite now having lost his wind instruments at the head of the mast, 

The conditions are rough, unstable, the sea is choppy… It’s not easy to keep the boat going forward and, without the wind instruments it’s even more uncertain. The boat is starting to get really tired, I don’t have any major problems but a number of small problems. In the next 24 hours, we’re going to have a semi-permanent cold front that we’ll have to cross. It’s easier said than done because there’s light wind and a risk of little storms. This is a transition zone that could hold surprises and may yet reshuffle the cards in our group.
NicolasLunvenHOLCIM - PRB

Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef, 10th), is pursuing her bold choice in the west sailing further but faster. The Swiss sailor was the guest of Vendée Live this Saturday:

We have very unstable conditions, the forecasts are not reliable. The Southern Oceans were almost easier. I always operate with a back up wind instruments on the pulpit and I had a few blackouts, a problem with my mainsail traveller. The boats have taken a bit of a beating on this upwind climb since we rounded Cape Horn. I'm trying to find the best route but we still have complicated conditions to come.
JustineMettrauxTeamwork-Team Snef

Behind, Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environnement – ​​Water Family, 11th) and Clarisse Crémer (L'Occitane en Provence, 12th) have also found some speed making 14 to 16 knots. But this could be short-lived and the erratic winds that are forecast should allow Samantha Davies (Initiatives Cœur, 13th) to catch up.

Seventh Cape Horn for 'Le Roi Jean'
This Saturday at 0601hrs UTC  (French time), Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère - Armor-lux, 16th) was the 16th skipper of this Vendée Globe to round Cape Horn. For the 65 year old it's become a regular thing. This is his seventh crossing of the mythical cape in a race. He crossed it for the first time 43 years ago at 22 years old alongside Éric Tabarly (in the Whitbread, a round the world race with stopovers) and then after his famous capsize, passed aboard Vincent Riou's boat who rescued him in 2009. "It's great, it's very emotional", laughs "King Jean" who was able to talk with the keeper of the Cape Horn lighthouse.

Swiss racer Alan Roura (HUBLOT) is on the verge of achieving his third Horn at the age of just 31, each achieved in successive Vendée Globe. But right now things do look tough, a depression is tracking east with 35 knots, 45 knots in the gusts, 4 to 5 meters of troughs expected during his passage expected to be early morning this Sunday.

Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 18th) and Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian, 19th), have decided to wait for the worst of the depression to pass before closing in toCape Horn.

At the back, Oliver Heer (Tut Gut., 30th) is still blocked by an anticyclone. The crossing of the Pacific is therefore expected to be very slow for the Swiss German. Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans – Wewise, 33rd) and Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 34th) will suffer the same fate, as they are progressing on a more northerly route, and Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group, 35th) will have a lot of close-hauled racing ahead. Antoine Cornic (HUMAN Immobilier, 31st) is also taking his time along the ZEA (Antarctic exclusion zone) while celebrating his 45th birthday on board and he is keeping his spirits up:

I would like things to move along a bit faster, for the conditions to be more favourable to allow us to go faster. But here we are, I have no choice! I can't put the indicator on, go to the hotel, take a good shower, sleep in a warm bed and come back tomorrow! The idea is to go as quickly as possible. I can't wait to be a bit warmer weather, to be able to take off my foul weather gear my boots, my hat. But that's another story for another day.

AntoineCornicHUMAN IMMOBILIER

Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V) has also started to write a new page in his adventure. The winner of the last Vendée Globe retired on 30 December after a series of breakdowns (broken central bearing on his steering system, loss of two sails, code 0 and FR0, damaged starboard foil, a hull damage issue, etc.). In Ushuaia, his team worked hard to make repairs all week and he says he is ready to set off again, out of the race, to complete the full loop.

"It was hard to leave the Vendée Globe and retire. But it was a serious decision for my safety. The goal is to finish. I had the starter, the main course and I want to have dessert for my friends, my family and the colleagues of Maître CoQ. In addition to the helm problem, there is a lot of composite work to do since it looks like the hull has been torn. Fortunately I stopped and realized it! The work is not easy because we are at the end of the world. But the team is on deck and if all goes well, I hope to set sail again on Monday morning!
YannickBestavenMAÎTRE COQ V