While the 2020 Vendée Globe has already been underway for a big week, Charal, after having been forced to return to repair his damage in Les Sables-d'Olonne, finds himself rounding Cape Finisterre this week. He will therefore be sailing alongside the second lighthouse in our series "The Lighthouses of the Vendée Globe", the story of which is as follows.
Cabo Finisterre - West of Spain
The exit from the Bay of Biscay is marked in the South by Cape Finisterre, in Galicia. Built at an altitude of 143 metres to mark a coastline sometimes nicknamed "costilla de la muerte" (costilla of the mute) which has witnessed many shipwrecks. It was commissioned in 1853.
Located 90 km east of Santiago de Compostela, the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostela would come here to complete their journey.
This cape also witnessed several naval battles, including the Battle of Cape Finisterre or the Battle of the Fifteen Twenties in July 1805 between a Franco-Spanish fleet and the Royal Navy. Oh yes, nothing to do with the famous Battle of Trafalgar in October of the same year, but already the victory was English and Vice-Admiral Villeneuve who commanded the Franco-Spanish fleet during these two events could perhaps have drawn better lessons. However, Villeneuve had managed to break the blockade of Toulon by passing under the nose of Admiral Nelson and rallied the Spanish fleet in Cadiz. But, returning from the West Indies with this fleet, he came up against the fog and the English, who, as Nelson did at Trafalgar, broke the line of attack of the coalition ships. Add to this a weakening wind and the fog that became denser, the smoke from the cannons that the wind was no longer sufficient to disperse, the advantage remained with the English attackers and Villeneuve was forced to return to Cadiz to take shelter there.
