10th Vendée Globe: Dalin leads toward Cape Finisterre and the first “monster under the bed”
by Vendée Globe Media 11 Nov 09:41 PST
10 November 2024
As the pre-race favorite, Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) is proving his worth by leading the 40-boat Vendée Globe fleet towards the first significant challenge for the skippers and their vessels this evening and overnight. The competitors in this solo, non-stop round-the-world race are preparing to navigate the infamous Cape Finisterre located on the northwest coast of Spain.
Dalin gained the lead on the first night of this legendary 24,300-mile race and this afternoon managed to expand his lead to 24 miles as he headed into the area where winds are anticipated to gust up to 40 knots from the northeast and north, confronting a chaotic swell from the west, resulting in conditions that could swiftly reveal any vulnerabilities in the boats or their gear.
Dalin excels at gybing on the shifts.
After a very calm start on Sunday afternoon off Les Sables d’Olonne, the skippers had minimal downtime, needing to continually monitor the conditions while the fleet sailed back and forth, gybing downwind as they aimed to capitalize on the frequent minor shifts in wind direction, altering their course for the most direct and efficient route.
“Charlie has been impressive as usual. He seemed to always be on the right gybe last night, which made all the difference,” stated British sailor Will Harris, often a co-skipper to Boris Herrmann, during the Vendée LIVE English broadcast that airs daily at 1330hrs ITC.
In third place, Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) has started strong in his first-ever Vendée Globe, nearly keeping pace with Dalin as they zigzagged across the Bay of Biscay amid increasing winds that saw speeds rise throughout the afternoon. He was 27 miles behind the leader and was preparing for a safe, prudent approach to the significant landmark cape, which the frontrunners are expected to round around 2200hrs on Monday evening.
“The winds will be strong, but it should only last for a relatively short time. We must avoid making any reckless decisions to ensure we remain in the race. The next step is deciding whether to go inside or outside the TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme designed to keep vessels clear of shipping lanes). I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m ready for either choice and will observe what the others do. But everything is good. I’m a happy Sam right now,” Goodchild remarked this morning.
A minor issue for Herrmann.
Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia-Seaexplorer) has had a relatively unremarkable start to his second Vendée Globe. This afternoon he placed 26th, approximately 96 miles behind leader Dalin, to whom he finished second in this summer’s New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne Transatlantic race. He encountered a minor technical issue yesterday afternoon involving an electronic ram that controls the autopilot, which he had to replace. Diagnosing the issue took longer than the actual replacement.
“My night didn’t go as well. I struggled with the shifts and gusts. Each time I gybed, the wind shifted. I have lost a bit of ground in the fleet and am now seeking the right shift to guide me down to the Spanish coast, where I’ll switch to smaller sails,” he reported.
Meanwhile, Briton Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) was doing her best to move through the fleet, currently in 34th place this afternoon.
“It was quite a cool first night at sea. I faced a few minor challenges. At one point, I thought something was stuck on my keel, which was pretty frustrating. We had numerous close gybes throughout the night. I managed a few short naps, but it was a magnificent night filled with stars and a beautiful moon,” expressed Davies.
Notably, in this edition, there have been no early reversals, with none of the unfortunate skippers returning to Les Sables d’Olonne within the initial hours of their Vendée Globe experiences, unlike previous participants such as Fabrice Amedeo in the last race, who faced a halyard sheave problem, Didac Costa with an electrical fire in 2016, similar to Marc Guillemot in 2012 and Michel Desjoyaux in 2008. But tonight, as well as tomorrow morning, presents the first ‘monster under the bed’ as described by Britain’s Pip Hare.
“This is the first genuine sporting challenge of the race.” remarked Basile Rochut, weather consultant for the Vendée Globe.
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