Day 79: 3rd place for Jeremie Beyou
Jérémie Beyou is expected to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe this Monday evening between 8 and 9 pm in Les Sables d'Olonne, and he will be doing its entry into the channel at 10:45 p.m. He will thus take third place behind Armel Le Cléac'h and Alex Thomson, after 78 days at sea. A fine performance for the skipper of Maître CoQ, who didn't have an easy race, but held on remarkably well. Behind him, three skippers are battling like ragpickers to hang on to 4th place. "Every metre gained will be important at the finish", emphasises Jean-Pierre Dick, who for the moment has a slight advantage over Yann Eliès and Jean Le Cam. These three are expected in Les Sables on Wednesday, probably with very small gaps, just a few hours..
Day 80: Fierce battle for 4th place
The battle for fourth place raged between Jean-Pierre Dick, Yann Eliès and Jean Le Cam. All three are expected in Les Sables d'Olonne tomorrow, a few hours apart. Dick is holding the line, but he remains under threat from the two triple winners of the Solitaire du Figaro, experts in contact racing, who won't let go of a single mile. More than 2000 miles behind, Louis Burton is also thinking about his arrival, which should take place in a week's time, while his first pursuer, Hungarian Nandor Fa, is about to cross the equator. There are still two competitors in the Pacific, but Pieter Heerema will soon be sailing in the Atlantic again: he is approaching Cape Horn, which he should pass in the evening.
Day 81: 3 arrivals in 3 hours!
This Wednesday, January 25, 2017 will go down in the annals... Three emblematic figures of the Vendée Globe crossed the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne at an interval of three hours: Jean-Pierre Dick (4th) at 2.47pm , Yann Eliès (5th) at 4.13 pm and Jean Le Cam (6th) at 5:43 pm This is the first time in the history of the Vendée Globe that three competitors have completed the course on the same day. Yann Eliès even crossed the finish line, just 1 hour and 26 minutes after Jean-Pierre Dick... In order not to spoil the festivities, the weather conditions were very good and there were a lot of spectators in the channel leading up to Port Olona. Behind them, the race continues and 12 sailors are still in contention in this eighth Vendée Globe...
Day 82: Another 12 sailors in the race!
There are still twelve sailors in the race. Twelve solo sailors who have been battling the elements for over 80 days: six French, one Hungarian, one New Zealander, one Swiss, one American, one Spanish and one Dutchman. Some of them will soon reach the finish, such as Louis Burton, the next competitor expected in Les Sables d'Olonne in five or six days time. Others still have a very long road ahead of them..
Day 83: Solo sailors in duo mode
They never leave each other: Arnaud Boissières and Fabrice Amedeo have been sailing in contact for weeks and have woven a beautiful bond of friendship at sea. Another duel pits Romain Attanasio against Didac Costa, who even sailed within sight of each other today. If couples are forming, others are in "single" mode on the immense planetary body of water. This is the case for the next competitor expected in Les Sables d'Olonne next Wednesday, Louis Burton, but also for his first pursuer Nandor Fa, or even Pieter Heerema or Sébastien Destremau, who is preparing for an epic rounding of Cape Horn..
Day 84: Diverging objectives
Each of the twelve competitors still at sea set themselves objectives in line with the potential and condition of their boat, with their physical and mental fitness, but also according to their positioning and ranking. While the main ambition for all of them is to arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne, this perspective becomes particularly concrete for Louis Burton and Nandor Fa. The former is expected in Les Sables d'Olonne in five days time, the latter in a big week. Conrad Colman and Eric Bellion are getting closer to the equator, as Sébastien Destremau prepares to round Cape Horn.
Day 85: Cape Horn behind the bow
That's it, all the competitors still competing in the Vendée Globe have rounded Cape Horn. It is a great day for Sébastien Destremau, who rounded the mythical cape today at 14h36 (French time), after 84 days and 01 hour of sailing. 5700 miles ahead of him, Louis Burton is three days away from delivery and a brilliant 7th place finish in Les Sables d'Olonne. The Hungarian Nandor Fa, still in great shape, is expected in the Vendée around 8th February. For his part, Eric Bellion crossed the equator last night and Conrad Colman is expected to do the same soon. As for Romain Attanasio and Didac Costa, they are still sailing close together: 0.1 miles apart after more than 21,000 miles since the start on 6th November.
