As Cape Horn beckons this weekend, the Vendee Race Direction has opened the race area more by moving the ice barrier south in this area as there will be significant race traffic!
In the strong, following W’ly wind and with the leading duo electing to stay north slightly, the top of the Vendee Globe fleet have compacted slightly more.
As they pass between Point Nemo and the Ice Exclusion Zone, it is nearly 2,000 miles to Cape Horn where deliverance waits.
Charlie Dalin (APIVIA) – who slowed Monday to consolidate his foil box repairs – has caught back some 40 miles on Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq).
While Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) has regained more than 120 miles on Bestaven to be 206 nautical miles behind Bestaven.
Fortunately for this lead group they will be into a new NW’ly flow Tuesday from a system which will take them east to exit the Pacific.
Right now the initiative is with the hunters and many have the chance to make miles and de-stabilise the status quo.
The weather situation around the Falklands islands does not look very stable at all for the early New Year and so there could yet be come very close finishes in Les Sables d’Olonne.
Vendée Globe Leaders – Day 52 – Tue 29 Dec – Updated at 21:00 hrs UK
1st FRA Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ IV – 8,592 nm to finish – sailing at 15+ knots
2nd FRA Charlie Dalin – APIVIA – 176 nm
3rd FRA Damien Seguin – GROUPE APICIL – 220 nm
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant – LinkedOut – 234 nm
5th FRA Jean Le Cam – Yes we Cam! – 252 nm
6th FRA Benjamin DUTREUX – OMIA – WATER FAMILY – 286 nm
7th FRA Boris Herrmann – SEAEXPLORER – 307 nm
8th FRA Isabelle JOSCHKE – MACSF – 311 nm
9th FRA Maxime SOREL – V and B-MAYENNE – 345 nm
10th FRA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYSMIAN GROUP – 386 nm
GBR:
17th GBR Pip Hare – Medallia – 2019 nm
23rd GBR Miranda Merron – Campagne de France – 3665 nm
Retired:
Nicolas Troussel, Alex Thomson, Kevin Escoffier, Alex Thomson, Sebastien Simon, Sam Davies, Fabrice Amedo
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