Vendée Globe Day 12: A Meeting with a Low
by Vendée Globe Media 21 Nov 08:36 PST
21 November 2024
In the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world race, Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) took the lead very early this morning, benefiting from his advantageous position to the west of his competitors. This includes his teammate and British sailor, Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE), who is currently in second place. Ruyant was the first to exit the Doldrums, and after sailing at more than double the pace of Goodchild, he is now approximately 6.5 miles ahead this afternoon.
Pip Hare (Medallia) has also made notable progress, taking advantage of her western position. Over the past few days, she has climbed to 13th place, significantly reducing her gap from 250 nautical miles yesterday morning to about 80 miles behind the leading duo this afternoon.
Importantly for the British sailor, her recent gains may allow her to connect with the first low-pressure system in the South Atlantic alongside the main group. However, the exact timing to capture this system remains uncertain.
This marks the first instance of Ruyant leading in his third Vendée Globe race. Four years ago, he trailed British sailor Alex Thomson by about 80 miles as they crossed the Equator. Both skippers quickly moved ahead of the fleet in the South Atlantic once they caught a low-pressure system, resembling this year’s situation and the one from 2016-17 when Thomson and Armel Le Cléac’h broke away from the group.
Despite setting a new 24-hour solo monohull distance record yesterday morning, Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) has not escaped the Doldrums as effectively as Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef), who is now in fifth place, less than 40 miles behind Ruyant.
“It appears we are finally out of the Doldrums. Everything is stabilizing!” Richomme stated this morning. “We were stuck there for 24 hours, and for about 12 to 15 hours, conditions were tough. It was a challenging situation, but we’ve all encountered worse!”
He continued, “I faced 12-15 hours of difficult sailing yesterday afternoon. Progress was slow, but last night improved. Ultimately, it was a relatively manageable Doldrums. There was just a significant squall yesterday afternoon.”
“By tomorrow morning, I’ll cross the Equator: it’s my first solo crossing. From what I’ve heard, that’s quite an event! I’ve raced across it three times before, so it’ll mostly be a formality. My team must have arranged a small bottle of champagne for me, and I need to check when it’s planned because I’ve hardly eaten since the start, and I’m on my Day 5 food supply. I’m about 4-5 days behind schedule.”
“In the South Atlantic, conditions could be very fast yet not overly violent. The situation allows us to traverse the South Atlantic efficiently. We might pass Cape of Good Hope, which would improve our timings compared to benchmarks. That’s a promising scenario, and it should benefit many. Of course, we’ll break away from the group behind us, but the leading group might leave together.”
Ruyant’s lead could stabilize, as Goodchild may have a faster wind angle, and Ruyant is heading back east to join his teammate, who is racing on his former generation boat, with which he finished sixth in the last Vendée Globe.
Hare’s quick thinking!
However, the most significant gains have been for Hare, who expressed excitement this morning, “I had quite a good night, which I didn’t expect so much. I can’t match the newer boats in speed on reaching angles; I cannot keep up in a straight line with any boats built in 2020 or later. Thus, I must capitalize on opportunities to ‘think’ my way up the standings, and I think last night worked very well for me. Being positioned to the west is optimal, and all day yesterday I was extremely vigilant regarding clouds. I kept a satellite image available, constantly on my screen. It’s incredible how accurate it is, and then it would appear on radar, allowing me to navigate around obstacles. That was very beneficial. I’m feeling pretty good and about to enjoy a cup of tea, although that might be short-lived as chaos will likely break loose. My only goal is to maintain contact as long as possible and seize any chance to plot my way through. I’m genuinely pleased this morning; it’s great!”
Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V), the previous race winner from La Rochelle, shared a different experience. “The Doldrums were intense, with numerous squalls and highly unstable winds, both in strength and direction, but they were relatively brief. On the positive side, several of us were able to see each other on the AIS, which helped us understand the situation a bit better. I now feel like I’m starting anew!”
The Equator Tonight
What lies ahead? Crossing the Equator tonight. After that, it essentially becomes a drag race down the South Atlantic in the SE trade winds, all while keeping an eye on the prize—a depression they could catch slightly north of Rio de Janeiro. This low pressure would be ideal for them to accelerate and go full throttle toward the southern African coast. If this scenario unfolds, it would mirror how Alex Thomson and Armel Le Cléac’h sped to the Kerguelen Islands during the 2016-2017 edition. “It’s a promising scenario. It will present an opportunity for numerous competitors, but it will create a significant separation from those behind,” analyzed Richomme.
Meanwhile, the entire fleet, except for Oliver Heer (Tut Gut), Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group), Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou), and Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe)—who burned his hand yesterday while heating water—will exit the Doldrums in approximately 36 hours.
