Nicolas Lunven breaks the 24-hour distance record in the IMOCA Class, re-entering the top spots
by Ed Gorman / IMOCA Globe Series 13 Nov 09:06 PST
13 November 2024
Nicolas Lunven sets the record on 13th November 2024 during the 10th Vendée Globe © Julien Champolion – polaRYSE / Holcim-PRB
Nico Lunven, the captain of Holcim-PRB, has surged back into the top-5 on the third day of the Vendée Globe after opting to sail alone west of Finisterre.
The 41-year-old French sailor steered 230 nautical miles west-northwest of Finisterre in search of lighter winds and a safer route, while his competitors raced down the Spanish shoreline.
This daring choice initially dropped him to 39th out of 40. However, despite encountering a serious steering problem that forced him to halt the boat for several hours, he has climbed back to fifth place, sailing at an astonishing pace.
In the past 24 hours, Holcim-PRB has recorded an impressive 546.6 nautical miles, or 1,012.3 km, breaking the current IMOCA 24-hour distance record of 540 miles established by Thomas Ruyant during last December’s Retour à la Base race.
This morning, Lunven overtook Ruyant on Vulnerable and Louis Burton on Bureau Vallée, trailing only Jérémie Beyou on Charal in fourth place by just four miles, while sailing over seven knots faster.
Leading the race is Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), who is 13 miles ahead of Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) in second place, with Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) in third place, trailing by another 10 miles after initially leading along the Portuguese coastline.
The top-10 also features German skipper Boris Herrmann on Malizia Seaexplorer (+76), who has rebounded from a sluggish start and managed an autopilot failure in the early hours of the race.
Earlier, Lunven provided the IMOCA Class with an in-depth report on the potentially grave steering issue he faced on the race’s second night. He shared that he had to suspend sailing for “two to three hours” while he resolved the problem, which required him to bravely climb onto the stern at night in rough conditions.
“A line became caught under the starboard rudder tiller, dislodging it from its housing and nearly ripping it off,” Lunven recounted. “I quickly realized something was wrong when the boat became exceedingly hard to steer, which even caused a brief broach.”
This is Justine Mettraux’s inaugural Vendée Globe, and she has been enjoying the experience thus far. “The initial two days have been quite favorable,” she stated. “After starting, I aimed to balance safety with good positioning at Finisterre, knowing the winds would be fierce there. Overall, I’m pleased with my current standing.”
Mettraux expressed that she handled the abrupt shift from the loud and bustling atmosphere of Les Sables d’Olonne and the emotional farewells to the solitude of her vessel on this round-the-world journey.
“There was no major shock about the solitude. It’s something we have been preparing for a long time,” she explained. “For me, I view the start of this Vendée Globe as just another race, trying not to get too sentimental. This mindset helped me concentrate and enjoy the moment while leaving Les Sables harbor and entering the competition.”
Having grown up sailing on Lake Geneva, Mettraux admires Lunven for his bold choice at Finisterre and has been closely monitoring his progress to see how it will play out. “It’s encouraging to see sailors confidently taking significant risks at the beginning of the Vendée Globe; I respect Nico for that,” she remarked.
Interestingly, Lunven prioritized safety when he decided to diverge from the fleet, although he undoubtedly noticed better wind conditions offshore too. “I aimed to avoid risks, and I felt the internal passage of the TSS was too hazardous at night due to various maneuvers, winds, coastal traffic, and cargo vessels. I opted for a safer, albeit slightly disadvantageous route,” he indicated.
Among the other competitors, Britain’s Sam Davies on Initiatives-Coeur is experiencing a difficult start to her fourth Vendée Globe journey, currently in 19th place. She reported an issue with her keel that has hindered her boat’s speed. Clarisse Crémer on L’Occitane En Provence, formerly Apivia, has lost her large gennaker, posing a significant challenge in such an extended race. She is presently in 31st position.
New Zealand/American skipper Conrad Colman, who leads the daggerboard fleet in 14th place on MS Amlin, has faced an electronics blackout, and Maxime Sorel on V And B-Monbana Mayenne, currently in 18th, has sustained a twisted ankle and repaired a tear in his gennaker.
In terms of weather, the current objective is to head south and west as the leaders aim to dodge the light winds and headwinds near the African coastline.
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