Vendee Globe – Day 7 – Deck Cracks on Bureau Vallée
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 16 Nov 19:14 PST
14 November 2024
Bureau Vallée © Eloi Stichelbaut
The number of issues in the Vendée Globe Race may soon rise, following the report from leading contender Louis Burton, who informed race control of deck cracks discovered on his foiling IMOCA Bureau Vallée.
“On Saturday, November 16 at 2200hrs UTC, while sailing with the leading group on the western route, Louis Burton notified his support team and race management about a concerning noise, describing it as a ‘big crack’ on the IMOCA Bureau Vallée,” stated Vendée Globe Race Control in a press release.
“After taking appropriate safety measures and conducting several inspections, he found cracks on the deck (by the Gennaker spreader) which could potentially compromise the boat’s structural integrity.”
“Burton is continuing his assessment. The skipper of Bureau Vallée is still in the race.”
Bureau Vallée was among a western contingent that included Youann Richomme, Jeremie Beyou, Thomas Ruyant, and Nicolas Lunven, all of whom were achieving speeds well into double figures.
Hungarian sailor Szabolocs Weores (New Europe) has stopped in the Canary Islands to repair a three square meter tear in his mainsail, which occurred five days ago in 30-40 knot winds. Since then, he has been sailing with a reefed mainsail and also damaged two foresails during the incident.
Maxime Sorel (V and B) had previously withdrawn due to an ankle injury.
East versus West
Meanwhile, the battle for race leadership appears to be approaching an exciting finish, with the race front now extending nearly 800 nautical miles.
The western group has increased speed, with some reaching double-digit figures, but in terms of the critical Velocity Made Good (VMG) towards the finish via Cape of Good Hope and elsewhere, their VMGs are low, except when sailing south. When this occurs, there is a good correlation between boat speed and VMG.
As the foiling IMOCAs sail west towards Brazil and navigate through the Doldrums into the trade winds, their VMG has dropped to 4 knots—some even facing negative VMGs—similar to the America’s Cup scenario, where AC75s focused on maintaining foiling speed in light winds, regardless of progress towards the goal.
In the eastern group, Conrad Colman has moved closer to the Horn of Africa; during the 1000hrs UTC check-in on Day 7, Vendée Globe Race Control noted that leader Jean le Cam has also turned east.
Both sailors are on dagger board IMOCA60s and can achieve better downwind angles, yielding a higher VMG compared to foilers at similar angles. They are both heading south with VMG approximating Speed over the Ground at 7 knots for le Cam and 4.2 knots for Colman. Both must navigate between two Exclusion Zones—around the Cape Verde islands and from La Guera on the Mauritanian coast to Sal Rei in central Cape Verde.
The two are hopeful for success in maneuvering through these zones, allowing them to move westward and catch the fresh winds ahead. Their objective is to steer clear of the worst portions of the Doldrums, assuming they are indeed present around Cape Verde and extending to Brazil.
These competitors seem close to moving out of the western Sahara’s influence, which previously led to the downfall of Franck Cammas’s (FRA) Groupama during the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Groupama looked promising at the start of the first week, closely hugging the African coastline. However, they lost 500 nautical miles in just a few days as they ran out of wind while trying to depart the coast and cross to the remaining six-boat fleet. The six-boat VOR70 fleet dwindled to four and eventually three, with Groupama finishing in a distant third place, trailing behind others who had split westward earlier and reaped the benefits.
In that same leg, the Doldrums posed less of a challenge compared to previous races, with Camper reporting they traversed the windless/squall-ridden area in only eight hours.
Current participants in the Vendée Globe Race will be hoping for similar fortune.
