Vendée Globe: all hunting for Charlie Dalin along the Pacific

It took Charlie Dalin on Macif 9 days, 22 hours 27 minutes to cross the Indian Ocean from Cape of Good Hope to Cape Leeuwin at about 18 knots average, setting a new record for the Vendée Globe. The previous speed record for the Indian crossing had stood since 2008, set by “The Professor” Michel Desjoyeaux in 10 days 7 hours and 37 minutes.

With Sebastien Simon sailing an Imoca 60 “lame” without a starboard foil, who is Charlie Dalin ‘s antagonist at this point? On the bow of the very first solo sailors there are still nearly 13,000 miles of round-the-world sailing, a distance where anything can still happen. And for that reason watch out for Yoann Richomme on Arkea Paprec, third, who is slowly coming around on Sebastien Simon and has nibbled 150 miles off Charlie Dalin, with the leader having to contend with passing close to the anticyclone zone that has slowed his race. The Pacific Ocean began with a gybe waltz for leader Dalin, and it was to be a succession, for all, of tack changes on wind rotations, between the passage of one depression and another. The race now becomes perhaps a little less tactical and more of attrition for the means and men, before arriving at the dreaded Cape Horn.

Vendee Globe – Pedote in the hunt for the top 20

Giancarlo Pedote and Prysmian are about to transit north of the Kerguelen Islands, which ideally represent the Indian halfway passage. Actually, the Tuscan will not even see the Kerguelen from a distance because he is, along with another small group of boats where Jean Le Cam is also, quite far north. Giancarlo is working to try to get back into the top 20, he is currently 22m0, and will have to contend not only with Jean Le Cam himself, but also with Alan Roura, Isabelle Joschke, and a wild Tanguy Le Turquais sailing one of the oldest boats in the fleet. Conditions for them in these hours are quite tough, with a depression that will bring further deterioration shortly.