Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe – Week 3
by L’Occitane Sailing Team 29 Nov 03:33 PST
29 November 2024
Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe – Week 3 © Clarisse Crémer / L’Occitane Sailing Team
Since her crossing of the equator on Friday, November 22, Clarisse Crémer has made her mark in the South Atlantic by remaining in the “front pack,” successfully catching the tail of a low-pressure system off Brazil, leading to a swift descent towards the southern tip of Africa.
Following a week of incredible speeds and having now been “disembarked” by the aforementioned front, the L’Occitane en Provence skipper faces gentler conditions. However, the strategic nuances and positioning challenges remain as vital as ever!
Final boarding call for South Africa
With the equator properly crossed and having offered up hot tea and carrots—given the absence of alcohol and the presence of Jimmy, the large-eared soft toy rabbit—Clarisse Crémer realized she needed to accelerate to stay with the leading pack she had been a part of since her brilliant navigation through the Doldrums. The “train” heading straight to the Cape of Good Hope would not make a second attempt. Thus, for two days, she maintained an average speed exceeding 20 knots to secure her spot on the slipstream, aiming to benefit from the winds for as long as possible. It was a delicate balancing act at nearly 30 knots, constantly needing to adjust her course to avoid being pushed out of the narrow corridor of favorable winds while watching her competitors gain ground. “This boat is pretty wild,” she remarked, her protective helmet firmly in place, as she navigated at full speed around fishing nets left by Chinese vessels. There were moments of intense nervousness amid frenzied surfing, making life on board particularly challenging, yet Clarisse managed to hold onto a more than respectable 12th place.
Here comes the Southern Ocean!
Well-positioned among the chasing group, the L’Occitane en Provence skipper even reached a temporary 11th place on Wednesday after outpacing Justine Mettraux, just before Boris Herrmann’s brand-new Malizia zoomed into view from behind. On Friday morning, after a monotonous week of high-speed navigation on the same tack, which felt like “an endless series of days at sea” while reaping rewards, the sailor expressed her relief at the chance to reduce her pace slightly. “We must remember that we’re about to traverse two oceans known for their unpredictability,” she mentioned in a message from the boat, lamenting that she had been ‘disembarked by the front’ before arriving at the Cape of Good Hope.
“The speeds are a bit less effective now, and finding the right trajectory will require more mental energy,” she assessed, already focusing on executing an effective anti-dreadlock strategy while preparing to tack a few additional times in anticipation of the St. Helena high settling in the southern part of her path. This fleeting moment of relief will require her to harness a decent breeze while keeping an eye on her Swiss rival, engaging in a fierce battle of gybes. Additionally, this will give her a chance to perform final checks before marking the first of the three capes and re-entering the southern seas to meet the next low-pressure system expected in the middle of next week. “For now, I’m thrilled to be where I am, and I must confess I feel a bit proud and satisfied. I’m here and progressing—that’s all that matters.”
