Vendée Globe Continues to Rocket Around the World
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. The Vendeé Globe race around the world got off to a slow start on November 10 in Les Sables-D’Olonne, but once the breeze filled in crews began pushing their IMOCA 60s at a blistering pace. Current leader Charlie Dalin, aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance, has already sailed over 8,000 miles and is deep into the Indian Ocean with about 15,500 miles to go. That’s averaging about 350 miles per day. In the process of racing around the world the IMOCA 60s have been outpacing previous 24-hour distance runs, with the current record now standing at 613.33 miles, set by second-place Sebastian Simon aboard Groupe Dubreuil. That’s an average of over 25 knots for 24 hours!
Charlie Dalin and Sebastien Simon are currently the farthest south and staying close to a potentially battering low pressure. It could launch them far into the lead or cause serious damage. They’re also racing in about 46-degree air temp and 43-degree water temp. That’s extra-cold at 25 knots. The next group went north to stay in steadier breezes. After about 24 days of racing, around 4,000 miles lie between first and last place.
On a solo, unassisted circumnavigation, the skippers are running the boats, navigating, and not receiving any outside weather-routing assistance. Somewhere in all of this they get some sleep.
British female skipper Pip Hare is in her second Vendée Globe with an updated boat, thanks to her San Francisco-based sponsor Medallia. She’s running in 17th place (out of 40) but has had to deal with a broken keel ram, which she’s now repaired. She also has a torn sail that will require serious mid-ocean repair work.
At this pace the lead boats will be finishing back in the Bay of Biscay in early February, presuming they avoid damage to their powerful but on-the-edge flying 60-footers. You can follow the fleet here.
Temperature! Kindly include Celsius/Centigrade. In brackets if you like. We, all your readers in Australia, China, Europe, Russia except the UK use and understand Celsius/ Centigrade. Thanks.
Thanks Johannes, we’ll do our best to remember and fit that in!
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