Vendée Globe, a win for two: the rise of the Atlantic begins

Let’s get ready for a pulse-pounding Atlantic ascent because the Vendée Globe is far from electing its king and the next two weeks are shaping up to be as exciting and uncertain as ever. The Atlantic Ocean will be the judge of the challenge between Yoann Richomme and Charlie Dalin, with its anticyclones to spread the cards and an expected arrival in Les Sables d’Olonne within a couple of weeks: Armel Le Cleac’h’s 74-day record never looks set to fall, the theoretical lead of the leading two being 1300 miles.

Little wind before departing

Macif and Arkea Paprec are crossing a ridge with little wind northeast of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. On yesterday’s day there was a suspicion that Charlie Dalin had a problem given the 100 miles or so lost, but Macif probably just passed a little closer to the shadow cone of the Islands which caused the wind to drop sharply. In any case, Dalin has already set things right by bringing himself into contact with Richomme.

Because of the characteristics of the two boats, in purely theoretical terms the Atlantic upwind is more in favor of Dalin and Macif, a boat on paper with more horsepower in the sail plan and suited to tighter, medium-wind swells that are more common in the Atlantic. In contrast, Richomme and Arkea Paprec should have been more favored in the South Seas, thanks to a more tolerant hull suited to Pacific and Indian wave conditions. Precisely theoretical reasoning, because now the psycho-physical fitness of the skippers also comes into play.

Pedote on the attack

Good phase for Giancarlo Pedote and Prysmian: the Tuscan, who turns 49 today, has reacted after the quicksand of little wind that had caused him to lose miles on Jean Le Cam and Isabelle Joschke, he has brought himself back in contact with his two direct opponents and seems to be in attack mode. The weather forecast seems to be smiling on him over the next few days, the wind should be at a fairly narrow angle, between the transom and the slack, conditions in which Prysmian should have a lot of horsepower to unleash in terms of sheer speed to try to put the bow back around 18th position.

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Mauro Giuffrè