Vendée Globe Day 10: A Birthday Treat for Goodchild, But Second Doldrums Await
by Vendée Globe Media 19 Nov 09:19 PST
19 November 2024
After nearly three days battling against conditions reminiscent of the Doldrums instead of the expected trade winds aiding the Vendée Globe fleet’s southward journey, the actual challenge is finally upon them.
Wind speeds have been increasing throughout the morning, resulting in a corresponding rise in velocity for the flying, foiling IMOCAs. On his 35th birthday, British skipper Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) regained the race lead in the afternoon. Traveling at over 24 knots, he had little chance to celebrate with cake but has given himself the gift of an expanding lead, currently nearly 30 nautical miles ahead of Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère- Armor lux), while third-placed Seb Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) kept pace approximately 50 miles to the east.
Double Doldrums Déjà Vu
However, beginning tomorrow at midday, the leaders will once again encounter setbacks as they approach an active Doldrums area, which may take up to 24 hours to cross.
“We’re gradually picking up speed. We’re exiting this zone of light winds with no trade winds, and we’re about to have consistent wind all the way to the Doldrums. While the past few days have been relatively calm and quite pleasant, it’s great to feel the wind pressure again and to be sailing quickly in the right direction!” exclaimed Clarisse Crémer.
“Due to our need to escape the calm winds, we’re all situated quite far west. The situation is quite different from a typical race emerging from the trade winds zone, and as a result, I don’t think there’s a specific strategy to follow. Our entry point into the Doldrums has been somewhat predetermined by circumstances,” added L’Occitane en Provence skipper Crémer, who has chosen a middle course.
After spreading out over a lateral distance of more than 300 miles, the leading group is beginning to converge toward a single axis.
“We’re all arriving more or less along the same line and will likely enter the Doldrums spaced merely tens of miles apart,” noted Crémer, who recognizes that within the notorious Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, known for its meteorological unpredictability, even a minor gap or cloud can drastically alter the outcome.
The Doldrums Will Be Tougher for the Leaders
“The leaders are expected to enter around midday tomorrow and exit approximately 24 hours later. As it stands, we anticipate the frontrunners will encounter more activity, including squalls and rain, compared to their pursuers,” shared Basile Rochut, the race’s weather consultant.
“The Doldrums appear quite challenging!” confirmed fifth-placed Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), who observed the first cumulonimbus clouds appearing on the horizon. Conversely, Jean Le Cam, at the easternmost limit near the southeastern edge of the biodiversity protection zone of the Cape Verde archipelago, is attempting to “cut the cheese,” as the French say, seeking a shortcut to reconnect with the fleet.
“He executed his gybe perfectly last evening and is currently exploiting his daggerboard boat’s full potential,” noted Jacques Caraës from Race Management.
Random…
“The Vendée Globe is fantastic in that it provides immense freedom in strategic decisions. Jean navigated the light winds better than us and notably better than we anticipated. I believe he will cross the Doldrums simultaneously with us, but in this region, everything is quite unpredictable and can shift rapidly. It’s impossible to forecast anything!” commented Sébastien Marsset (Foussier), a sentiment echoed in a video by Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) and many others, who believe that having already traversed one Doldrums means an easier passage through the “real” Doldrums might be justified.
Back in the Game!
In the meantime, Hungarian skipper Szabi Weöres has returned to the race after meticulously repairing a significant tear in his mainsail. Aware that he has much of the globe left to sail around, he took no shortcuts with his repair. Speaking on the Vendée LIVE! English show, he said:
“It was a substantial tear; I labored intensely over two days to repair it properly. This was a major fix, so I hope I’ve done a good job. The real test awaits. Also, when you start making repairs, you often discover other issues; I realized I had lost one of my wind instruments at the top of the mast, probably when it went underwater. Therefore, I also replaced that and made some other minor fixes, and now I’m back to sailing. I was eagerly anticipating this moment, wanting to return to sea.”
The hole measured approximately 2.5 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, he explained, continuing, “So, about 4 meters of stitching in total. Initially, I used some Dyneema yarn, unraveled from a piece of rope, stitching the sails with a diamond pattern to align the pieces correctly, which was crucial to avoid creating a weak point if not positioned accurately.”
“I chose the Dyneema line because when you apply glue on top, along with some Sikaflex that penetrates deeply into the yarn, it prevents movement and also prevents chafe where the sail is stitched. It took me a day to sew the sail back together.
On the following day, I applied some material made of Hydranet, which is a Dyneema patch affixed with Sikaflex. I secured it all with another small patch. That completed the mainsail repair. I also had to climb the mast to replace the wind sensor and retrieve the halyard, as I had left it behind when I removed the A7. Additionally, I performed minor repairs on the furler. Now, I’m all set.”
As he sailed south today, upwind, he admitted, “I’m quite weary of this. It seems I’ll encounter calm conditions, possibly too calm. However, I’ll have time to recuperate, eat, and rest.”
Being moored in Las Palmas Grand Canaria understandably drew a lot of attention:
“It was chaotic. I knew I was in front of the webcam and many people came to see me. I had to tell them to stay away, saying I didn’t need any help, and if they touched me, I’d risk being disqualified from the race. People were getting too close to my mooring line, and I worried they might get tangled up. Thankfully, everything turned out alright!”
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