A forbidden zone around Antarctica
The week before the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe, the race directors, chaired by Jacques Caraës, informed the racers of the position of the Antarctic Exclusion Zone. The aim of this zone is to avoid the skippers coming across icebergs and other growlers during the round Antarctic race. This virtual crown is made up of 72 GPS points, spaced at 5° apart.
"For several months now, we have been working with CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites) to monitor ice movement in the Antarctic zone, in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These satellite images are ordered in advance and processed at CLS Brest, with CLS radar analyst Jimmy Viard. We established a first zone, communicated on October 1st and, last Saturday, we refined our positions and communicated on the ZEA version given to the runners on October 30th" explains Jacques Caraës, the race director.
The positioning of the ice allowed the race committee to lower by 1° the limit not to be crossed compared to the 2016 edition. The distance of the course will therefore be a little shorter for the skippers, who will have to cover 24,296 miles to get back to Les Sables d'Olonne.
The skippers are not allowed to dive south to escape a zone of high pressure or to try to pick up miles. Indeed, as the Earth is round and the Vendée Globe consists of sailing around the Antarctic continent leaving it to starboard, the further south you go, the less distance there is. However, the chances of encountering ice are more obvious.
A Franco-Australian dialogue
Ice monitoring is not the only parameter taken into account to define the EEZ. A consultation was organised between the race management, the Australian MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Center) and the AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority). This tripartite exchange allows the scope of action of the Australian rescue services to be integrated into their thinking.
The positioning of the EEZ is evolutionary
The differences in speed between the boats have never been as great as in this 2020 edition. A gap of several dozen days will occur between the winner and the last competitor to return to Les Sables d'Olonne. The fleet will therefore be very spread out in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It is for this reason that the position of the EEZ may be modified during the race, according to the evolution of the ice drift. If an iceberg is detected by the CLS during the race, an "Ice Report" will be sent to all competitors.
Other areas to avoid
The race direction also forbids the skippers to sail in areas where the navigation is very dense. The areas concerned are Cape Finisterre, Cape Roca (the westernmost point of Portugal), Cape St Vincente (the southern tip of Portugal), Mauritania, and the Canary Islands, East and West. And, since this year, at the level of the DST of Ouessant and West Scilly.
How does it affect the skippers?
The first editions of the Vendée Globe or the BOC Challenge showed that some racers were playing "Russian roulette", going down very far south to rack up miles, not hesitating to cross minefields. Introduced for the 2016 edition, this rule is not unanimously accepted within the IMOCA class.
Jean Pierre Dick paid the price while sailing in the Indian Ocean. Not having received the latest update of the EEZ, the skipper of Saint Michel Virbac sailed 44 miles in the forbidden zone. In order to make amends for his mistake, he had to turn back to exit the zone where he had entered.
Opinions differ according to the skippers:
"The strategy's different, it kind of closes the game off, because it's an obstacle or a land you have to avoid." says Armel Le Cléac'h, winner of the last edition. And Alex Thomson adds: "As a sailor and a competitor, I don't like this rule too much. But as a human being and to stay alive, it's the only option."
