Vendée Globe Race Friday Update: Dalin Leads at Cape of Good Hope Once More!
by Vendée Globe media 29 Nov 09:39 PST
29 November 2024
Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé et Prévoyance) © Guillaume Gatefait-Disobey-Macif
“I feel like I’ve been teleported here from the equator! It’s truly remarkable how quickly we’ve made this journey to the Cape. I’ve lost all grasp of time and space. I’m only just now realizing that if all goes well this afternoon, we’ll reach the Cape of Good Hope!” said Charlie Dalin today.
After ten days of racing across the South Atlantic at near-record speeds, Vendée Globe leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé et Prévoyance) took a moment to reflect before crossing the famed cape at 15:45:02 UTC this afternoon. His elapsed time from Les Sables d’Olonne to Good Hope is 19d 03h 43min. It took him 7d 18h??39min to travel from the equator to Good Hope.
“It was so quick that I can’t really comprehend where I am. We headed Southeast at average speeds which allowed us to drop between 5 and 6 degrees every 24 hours, crossing many time zones swiftly. This morning, I was surprised by how early day broke, and although it is summer so we haven’t yet entered the Southern Ocean, it’s not bad because it’s more pleasant like this,” reflected Dalin before crossing the longitude of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, which also marks the switch from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean just hours later.
So different from 2020
Currently, the leading quartet is set to enter the Indian Ocean under relatively calm conditions, especially when compared to the harsh conditions of 2020, which witnessed Kevin Escoffier’s PRB sinking four years ago tomorrow, November 30th. Back then, Dalin had established a 300-mile lead but had to slow down in the Indian Ocean due to stormy weather, especially the enormous, chaotic seas.
This time he has three competitors within 40 miles. Second-placed Thomas Ruyant is just 17 miles behind on VULNERABLE, Yoann Richomme is third at 35.6 miles on Paprec Arkéa, and Seb Simon is fourth on Groupe Dubreuil at 37.2 miles behind.
“We all knew this race would be very competitive, and it’s proving to be so. It genuinely feels like I’m participating in a Figaro race around the world. Thomas, Yoann, Seb… everyone is quite close together. It’s intense sailing and it’s fast!”
Strategic phase
Now, after the high-speed phase, strategic decisions loom that could determine who might lead at Cape Horn…
“There are choices to make, positions to secure, and situations to manage. We’ve been spending a bit more time on the computer lately than in previous days. The range of possibilities is expanding,” said Dalin.
Fourth-placed Seb Simon is very much in the race but may feel a bit anxious over the next 48 hours as he approaches the area where he incurred race-ending damage to his foil casing in 2020.
The skipper of Groupe Dubreuil remarked this morning, “I can’t wait to enter the Indian Ocean, to dive into this vast expanse to the South, and the outlook seems positive for us aside from a significant depression. No setbacks so far, it’s going quite fast. We’ve got two and a half tough days out of the nine to ten days crossing ahead; we’ll be quickly approaching Australia, so I have a calm night ahead of me, and then conditions will gradually intensify, though it should remain manageable, so that’s great!”
The new record holder for solo 24-hour monohull racing highlighted a ‘secret setup’ that contributed to his incredible speed, “I discovered a peculiar configuration for the boat; I’m keeping quiet about it, but the boat was sailing on its own, and I didn’t feel like I was pushing it hard either. It was racing incredibly fast. I covered 615 miles in 24 hours while also aiming to protect the boat. Occasionally, I adjusted sails to prevent damage and performed deck checks. I even reversed due to something in the keel, so I could’ve gone even further! But the goal is to finish this Vendée Globe.”
Burton Searching for Keys to a Comeback
Now, positioning and timing will be crucial for getting onto the next swift-moving Austral low-pressure zone, which some in the chasing group may reach first.
“Currently, we’re gybing South in light winds and poor angles while awaiting the next depression’s formation,” explained Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée), who, like many, sees the low-pressure system as the boost needed to reignite their performance. “It’s pretty uncomfortable to be a bit behind. You must effectively manage your energy, similar to tackling a steep hill on a bicycle—don’t focus too much on the hill,” remarked Burton, who finished third in the previous race, navigating the Indian Ocean’s low pressures for significant gains at that time.
Reset, Refocus…
Britain’s Pip Hare, like Burton, aims to recover lost ground as she makes her way south on Medallia. She lamented a couple of critical errors that caused her to fall out of the low-pressure corridor.
“The last few days have been hard, really tough, and frustrating from a performance standpoint—mistakes cost me several positions. Riding down the front has benefited those at the front; the closer you are to the lead pack, the easier things become,” Hare explained. “I feel like we’ve somewhat missed out on the good conditions. The boats behind are closing in, and the ones ahead are pulling away. It’s refreshing to break that cycle and focus on something other than straightforward fast sailing, which has been our priority for the past week. It’s still warm with calm waters; we haven’t experienced any sea state since crossing the Equator, which is nice, but I feel the urge to get going. I would prefer not to be tossed around; I’d love to release the handbrake and move east. We’ll see what unfolds in the next 24 hours as we work to make headway south, and then we should feel the pressure effects. I’m hopeful we can reconnect with that second pack.”
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