Charlie Dalin on Apivia leads the 32 boat Vendée Globe fleet into the south with a margin, already at 300+ nautical miles, which looks set to grow.
Dalin is at the gateway to the Roaring Forties this Friday morning and should pick up speed eastbound over the course of the day.
Meantime second placed Thomas Ruyant on LinkedOut completed surgery to his port foil yesterday and scaled his mast again to sort out his various issues.
He is nearly 170 miles to the north still slowed in the South Atlantic high pressure, sailing at 10.5 knots this morning.
Alex Thomson was also slowed through Thursday yesterday evening relative to the boats around him and HUGO BOSS is 12th this morning. Speed in the late afternoon and evening was 18-19kts, overnight 6-7kts and now picking up to 18+ knots again this morning.
At the same time Sam Davies and Louis Burton actually pulled miles back on Dalin, now averaging 18kts compared with the leader’s 10-12.
At the front of the fleet, as the leaders light up in the stronger winds now at boatspeed averages around 20kts, others will still be slowed in the sticky South Atlantic.
Who is going to do the best? Those who are furthest south soonest, no question.
Those furthest to the south will most probably catch the eastbound ride, ahead of the front . . . Thomson then Davies and Burton.
Vendée Globe Leaders – Day 20 – Fri 27 Nov – Updated at 17:00 hrs UK
1st FRA Charlie Dalin – APIVIA – 18,544 nm to finish – sailing at 18.4 knots
2nd FRA Thomas Ruyant – LinkedOut – 317 nm
3rd FRA Jean Le Cam – Yes we Cam! – 362 nm
4th FRA Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ IV – 464 nm
5th FRA Kevin Escoffier – PRB – 477 nm
6th FRA Boris Herrmann – SEAEXPLORER – 505 nm
7th FRA Sebastien Simon – ARKEA PAPREC – 524 nm
8th FRA Louis Burton – BUREAU VALLEE 2 – 527 nm
9th GBR Sam Davies – INITIATIVES-COEUR – 593 nm
10th FRA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYSMIAN GROUP – 626 nm
11th GBR Alex Thomson – HUGO BOSS – 645 nm – sailing at 17 knots
12th FRA Damien Seguin – GROUPE APICIL – 647 nm
Other GBR:
24th GBR Pip Hare – Medallia – 1757 nm
27th GBR Miranda Merron – Campagne de France – 2262 nm
Retired: Nicolas Troussel
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