february 4, 2025: A night of arrivals and battles to the finish
The night of February 4 was marked by a series of arrivals in Les Sables d'Olonne, with four skippers completing their circumnavigation after more than 85 days at sea. Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 19th) crossed the line at 00h28 this was her first Vendée Globe after retiring in 2020. Despite major damage to her starboard foil and a constant battle against the elements, the Franco-German showed unfailing determination right to the end.
A little later, at 02h51 , Jean Le Cam (Tout Commence en Finistère âeuros Armor-lux, 20th) a true legend of ocean racing, has completed his 6th consecutive Vendée Globe. At the age of 65, "King Jean" has once again proved that he can compete with the best, despite three mast climbs and a daring strategy that brought him to the front at the start of the race.
In the morning, it's Conrad Colman (MS Amlin, 21st) who crossed the line at 03h04 the "Crazy Kiwi" repeated his feat of circumnavigating the globe without fossil fuels, eight years after his first participation. As committed as ever, the "Crazy Kiwi" showed remarkable fighting spirit, alternating tactical risk-taking with resilience in the face of numerous technical challenges.
Finally, at 09h34 , Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian, 22nd) concluded his second Vendée Globe, in a more difficult edition than the previous one. Forced to ease off after suffering serious rudder damage in the Deep South, the Italian nevertheless held out to the end, once again proving his tenacity.
In the meantime, Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com, 23rd) currently 700 miles from the finish, had to deal with sail damage, as his Jib Top fell into the water following a probable breakage of the hook system. The Breton skipper continues to make progress, and is expected in Les Sables d'Olonne by Friday or Saturday.
february 5, 2025: Final miles for the chasers, the long climb continues
As the arrivals continue in Les Sables d'Olonne, 11 skippers continue their ascent of the Atlantic with patience and determination. Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com, 23rd) is next in line on Friday or Saturday, but the end of his journey is fraught with difficulties. After losing his sail, he has to contend with light and shifty winds, making progress difficult. Short of sweet food and breakfast, he remains optimistic, looking forward to the return of the wind to complete his first Vendée Globe.
600 miles behind, a group of 4 skippers led by Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One, 24th) is advancing cautiously around the Azores high. Behind him, Violette Dorange (DeVenir, 25th) , Louis Duc (Fives Group Lantana Environnement, 26th) and Sébastien Marsset (Foussier, 27th) struggle against unstable winds that complicate their strategy. Violette Dorange who is nearing the end of her very first Vendée Globe, confesses to feeling very emotional at the thought of her imminent arrival, while remaining focused on the race.
Further south, Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier, 28th) still hesitates between a passage to the west or east of the Azores, while Oliver Heer (Tut Gut., 30th) and Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 31st) are finally making headway in more favorable trade winds after crossing the equator.
Well, at the back of the fleet, Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 32nd), Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans Wewise, 33rd) and Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group, 34th) are continuing their slow climb up the South Atlantic, after being slowed for several days by the St. Helena High. Manuel Cousin, now out of this zone, is enjoying his new-found freedom with more stable trade winds, even if the wait is getting long and he's starting to seriously miss land. As for Denis Van Weynbergh although he was last in the rankings, he could cross the finish line by the end of the month, thus completing his first Vendée Globe.
february 6, 2025: Last sea battles before arrival
Whereas Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com, 23rd) is expected in Les Sables d'Olonne on Friday night, the last 10 skippers are continuing their long climb back up the Atlantic. Between impatience and caution, everyone is managing their own pace and fatigue, while the weather is imposing its own set of constraints. Louis Duc (Fives Group âeuros Lantana Environnement, 24th) leads the battle against Violette Dorange (DeVenir, 25th) and Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One, 26th) while Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 30th) refers to particularly trying conditions.
The first to cross the finish line is Guirec Soudée who rounded Cape Finisterre on Thursday and is now sailing in the Bay of Biscay. Despite unstable weather conditions and a sometimes fickle wind, he is getting closer to his goal after more than 88 days at sea. Behind him, Louis Duc took the lead over the chasing pack, made up of Violette Dorange, Kojiro Shiraishi and Sébastien Marsset (Foussier, 27th) . The 4 sailors had to sail up to the south of Ireland to catch a favorable wind, before diving towards Les Sables d'Olonne. A frustrating but strategic detour, which pushes back their arrival by several days. For these sailors, who have been at sea for almost 3 months, weariness is beginning to set in. Violette Dorange the youngest female skipper in the Vendée Globe, admits she misses her family and friends, and is preparing emotionally for her arrival. The same goes for Jingkun Xu which faces difficult conditions. Kojiro Shiraishi he's already dreaming of greenery and golf, symbols of a return to terra firma.
Further out in the Atlantic, Éric Bellion (out of the race) and Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier, 28th) are rounding a strong low-pressure system south of the Azores. Oliver Heer (Tut Gut., 29th) and Jingkun Xu (30th) are making headway in the trade winds, although sargassum and unstable winds are complicating their route.
At the rear of the fleet, Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 31st), Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans Wewise, 32nd) and Denis Van Weynbergh (D'Ieteren Group, 33rd) are now making good speed thanks to the trade winds.
