Sunday, November 8: Top start!
The ninth edition of the Vendée Globe took place on Sunday 8th November at 14:20 hrs with more than an hour from retard?; fog decided to cover the start line of the race. The 33 skippers were impatient to get to the start - Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2) in particular, crossed the line early and was given a penalty. They reached the clearing buoy in a south-south-easterly wind of around 15 knots.
A rather "soft" start therefore, as the easterly wind forced the boats to sail downwind. After 40 minutes of sailing, Nicolas Troussel (Corum l'Epargne) passed the buoy first, followed by Jérémie Beyou (Charal) and Samantha Davies (Initiatives-C?ur).
Fabrice Amédéo (Newrest - Art & Fenêtres) decided to turn back in the evening, due to a problem with the foresail hook which prevented him from lowering his gennaker. He reached Les Sables-d'Olonne during the night, before reaching Port Olonna in the early morning, unable to make repairs at anchor.
Monday 9 November: a first night that left its mark
After a long slide with peaks of more than 27 knots, the time has come to reduce the sails. The wind turned south, then southwest. The foilers had to head north-west, while the IMOCA daggerboards were able to maintain a better angle for a direct course. At the 5 h ranking, Maxime Sorel (V and B - Mayenne) was first in the ranking.
This first depression encountered during the night left our skippers groggy and some traces on the boats. Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) also had hook problems, as did Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) and Arnaud Boissières (La Mîe Caline - Artipôle). Maxime Sorel and Jérémie Beyou caught fishing nets in their appendages.
The skippers had to face a Cornelian choice for Tuesday evening: stay offshore at the risk of taking the full brunt of the front with gusts to 40 knots and 5 metre high waves or sail along the coast, but risk falling into a soft zone.
At the end of the day, the daggerboard IMOCA boats which have opted for a southern route have the lead, with a trio made up of Damien Seguin (APICIL Group) leading the way, ahead of Maxime Sorel (V and B - Mayenne) and Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!).
Tuesday, November 10: Gearing up for a crazy night
As we approach Cape Finisterre, the gaps have narrowed. The non foilers saw the foilers, who had taken a westerly route, return. Although the wind was light, the night was still tiring, with the sailors forced to slalom between the cargo ships and watch the incessant wind shifts.
Jérémie Beyou (Charal) in the lead at around 4 o'clock in the morning was followed by Nicolas Troussel (Corum L'Epargne) and headed south, with the fleet in their wake.
All are preparing for the front passage that awaits them tonight and the fleet is still split into two groups. Those to the west and heading towards the low to look for strong winds and those along the Spanish coast, preferring to protect themselves from the elements, and led by Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA -Water Family).
In the group leaving for the front, we find Armel Tripon (L'Occitane en Provence), Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) or Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2), Sébastien Simon, Boris Herrmann, Alex Thomson and Clarisse Cremer. The wind should reach 35 knots on average around midnight with gusts to 45 knots and 4 to 5 metre high waves.
Others chose the reason like Damien Seguin, Yannick Bestaven or Nicolas Troussel who was in the western group. But these first two days of racing have been tiring and it is important to get a grip on things. As proof of this, Jean Le Cam collapsed from fatigue and woke up in panic 7 miles from La Coruña, forced to tack in a hurry.
Others chose to compromise, such as Charlie Dalin, Jérémie Beyou, Kevin Escoffier and Sam Davies, who were the fastest in the afternoon. They were joined on this route by Isabelle Joschke.
The good news from jour?? Fabrice Amédéo resumed the race at 11:15 pm after two and a half days of repairs.
Wednesday 11 November: Recovering from the emotions of the night
The conditions encountered during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday were faithful to the forecasts and the skippers who opted for the westerly option "morphed". Armel Tripon decided to divert to La Coruña to repair the broken hook on his J3 before changing his mind and waiting for better conditions and Sébastien Simon got seasick for the first time in his life. Kevin Escoffier on PRB discovered a huge waterway aboard his boat, which he eventually mastered. For Clarisse Crémer, it was a blow to her morale.
All of them have been marked by this first difficult night, the bodies are exhausted, the boats are marked. And one of the big favorites paid for it. Jérémie Beyou hit a UFO in the night and his rudder is damaged. He decided to turn back to reach Les Sables-d'Olonne. He is expected on Saturday 14th November in the late morning. Sam Davies spoke of gusts to 50 knots, forcing him to sail under three reefs and storm breeze, with sail area reduced to a minimum.
After the passage of the front, conditions are milder in a north-westerly flow and the fleet can rest, tidy up, feed and repair. For the group further west, however, they will have to play the game of gybes to avoid falling into an air pocket.
Everyone's new goal now will be to deal with two more depressions. If the first is not a bad one, the second, nicknamed Theta, promises to leave a few bruises.
In the rankings, the offshore group has returned to the southerners, with Charlie Dalin and Thomas Ruyant making excellent progress.
Thursday, November 12: The calm before the storm
This morning, at 0600 hours, Jean Le Cam led the fleet followed by Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA - Water Family) and Nicolas Troussel (CORUM L'Epargne). But the western group is coming back strong with a quartet made up of Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), Charlie Dalin (Apivia), Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS) and Kevin Escoffier (PRB), enabling them to line up speeds of 20 knots, compared to 10 for the rest of the fleet.
On November 12th, Louis Burton also paid its 5-hour time penalty, due to its early crossing of the line.
While Jérémie Beyou was still heading towards the Vendée, seeing his dreams of victory slipping away, Alex Thomson took the lead of the fleet early this afternoon.
A new low is standing in their way, Theta. We're going to have to negotiate its western bypass or risk severe punishment. This subtropical low is sheltering winds of 50 to 60 knots and 6 metre high waves.
Friday, November 13: Meeting Theta
At 0600 hours in the morning, the top ten of the fleet are closing in on Theta - Nicolas Troussel is making peaks at 25 knots - and the time is ripe for a reduction in sail area. As the boats move south, the wind will strengthen and it will probably be necessary to gybe to move west and avoid conditions that are too difficult. Charlie Dalin has already done that this morning.
Among the good surprises, Jean Le Cam, author of an impeccable trajectory is 2 e in the standings behind leader Alex Thomson. While the leaders are getting ready to rub up against some difficult conditions in the middle and tail of the fleet, the atmosphere is not the same. In the north-east and as far as the Azores, the fleet is traversing an area of lighter winds. This 5 e day at sea is therefore likely to widen the gaps.
