Early Monday morning (23 Nov) and and the 08:00 hour Vendee Globe report shows a new leader . . . Charlie Dalin on APIVIA now leading from Thomas Ruyant on LinkedOut.
Jean Le Cam on Yes we Cam! is some 260 nm behind the leading pair in third place, with Kevin Escoffier on PRB in fourth.
The damaged Hugo Boss of Alex Thomson is fifth, and as we wait to hear from Alex it appears he is back pointing in the right direction and sailing at 5.5 knots.
All good signs that his repair has gone well.
Eighteen miles apart after two weeks of racing, new leader Charlie Dalin and second placed Thomas Ruyant have been gybing in step with each other through the night.
They are descending a corridor of modest breeze between the two evolving zones of lighter airs.
An 800 nautical mile stairway down to the strong winds of the Southern Ocean.
On the 04:00hrs call Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) commented:
‘It has been very light winds since yesterday midday, from midday to midnight I really dropped from 20kts to 3kts of boatspeed. I had just enough speed to keep the boat pointing in the right direction.’
Updates posted as received . . .
Vendée Globe Leaders – Day 16 – Mon 23 Nov – Updated at 11:00 hrs UK
1st FRA Charlie Dalin – APIVIA – 19,481 nm to finish
2nd FRA Thomas Ruyant – LinkedOut – 19 nm
3rd FRA Jean Le Cam – Yes we Cam! – 255 nm
4th FRA Kevin Escoffier – PRB – 261 nm
5th GBR Alex Thomson – HUGO BOSS – 303 nm – damaged, sailing at 4.3 knots
6th FRA Boris Herrmann – SEAEXPLORER – 333 nm
7th FRA Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ IV – 338 nm
8th FRA Louis Burton – BUREAU VALLEE 2 – 341 nm
9th FRA Sebastien Simon – ARKEA PAPREC – 372 nm
10th GBR Sam Davies – INITIATIVES-COEUR – 417 nm
11th FRA Benjamin Dutreux – OMIA – Water Family – 602 nm
Other GBR:
20th GBR Pip Hare – Medallia – 1807 nm
26th GBR Miranda Merron – Campagne de France – 2154 nm
Retired: Nicolas Troussel
