Super Le Cleac’h in Cape Horn (and if you don’t “fly” you may as well stay home)

At 1:34 p.m. (Italian time) Armel Le Cleach, on IMOCA 60 Banque Populaire VIII, rounded Cape Horn. The French skipper, who is leading the Vendée Globe (the nonstop solo round-the-world race), is on a roll: to reach the world’s most famous cape (from Les Sables d’Olonne, Vendée) Le Cleac’h took 47 days and 32 minutes (17,480 miles covered at an average speed of 15.5 knots. He pulverized Francois Gabart’s previous record: the blond man of the oceans, winner of the 2012/13 Vendée, had taken a full 5 days, 5 hours and 38 minutes longer.

RELIABLE AND POWERFUL FOILS: THE RANKINGS SAY SO
What does this mean? That if well managed, foils are a definite plus, few stories. Just look at the ranking as well: the top four hulls have appendages. Le Cleac’h, Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss (second at 762 miles), Jérémie Beyou on Maitre Coq (third at 1,620 miles) and Jean-Pierre Dick on St. Michel-Virbac (fourth at 2,111 miles). Let’s get ready for an upcoming Vendée and all the other ocean races in the sign of foils.

I UNCORKED THE CHAMPAGNE
Now le Cleac’h prepares for the Atlantic, where, if we know him, he will try to be conservative (after pushing on the accelerator to relegate Thomson, who moreover is without a fil, to a proper distance). “I got out the champagne once I rounded Cape Horn: any occasion is good for a toast,” Le Cleac’h jokes. ” I enjoy the landscape with the earth in view. It’s nice to see some of the earth’s atmosphere.”