Vendée Globe Race Sunday Update: Speedster Sébastien Simon Faces Setback with Starboard Foil Damage
by Vendée Globe media 8 Dec 09:06 PST
8 December 2024
Sébastien Simon’s starboard foil is damaged on Groupe Dubreuil during the Vendée Globe Race 2024 © Sébastien Simon
French skipper Sébastien Simon’s impressive run, currently in second place in the Vendée Globe, suffered a major setback today as it was reported that the sailor from Les Sables d’Olonne has broken his starboard foil on the IMOCA Groupe Dubreuil.
This is a harsh blow for Simon, who has been giving a tough competition to race leader Charlie Dalin since crossing the South Atlantic. Although he is understandably disappointed, Simon vowed to continue his fight and complete the race. After experiencing days of record-breaking speeds (including a record for the furthest distance traveled in 24 hours alone in a monohull: 615.33 miles between November 26 and 27), Simon had executed an exceptional strategy, but now he will inevitably slow down, losing power while on port gybe.
“Bad news on Groupe Dubreuil. Last night, I lost the starboard foil. I was asleep when the boat suddenly capsized. Rushing into the cockpit to manage the sails, I immediately sensed something was off; the boat was not responding as it should. I quickly grasped what happened. I went on deck to investigate, and the foil was broken at the elbow, the most curved area of the foil,” reported Simon, who didn’t hear any significant noise, possibly due to his earplugs, which are commonly used by skippers to block out constant debilitating sounds and help with sleep.
“It’s even more frustrating since I’ve eased back for several days due to sea conditions. I was trying to conserve the equipment while still aiming to reach the Vendée Globe’s finish line,” said Simon, who remains steadfast, having retired into Cape Town during the 2020 race after suffering damage to his starboard foil and, more critically, his foil casing.
“It’s indeed very hard to take. Regardless, the race continues. I’ll see it through to the end. For now, I’m managing to maintain my lead over the remaining fleet, and I believe there are still lots of surprises ahead in this round-the-world race. It’s all part of the sport; it’s mechanical. Now, I need to stay focused and enjoy,” Simon added.
“On port tack, I’ll lose about 30% of my speed, which is substantial, but my starboard foil is intact, and we’ve already made considerable progress on port tack in this race,” Simon noted.
Reduced Power
For Simon, this set back will be challenging, but nothing is straightforward during the Vendée Globe, as race leader Charlie Dalin, skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance, recalled, discussing his recent struggle with a massive low-pressure system.
“It was quite difficult to stay ahead of this giant low-pressure system. I really tried to extract every tenth of a knot from the boat to move as far east as possible. Several times, I felt the pressure of the depression closing in on me. Luckily, it turned out fine,” explained Dalin.
Nevertheless, even with a solid lead, Dalin remains realistic and level-headed:
“Those trailing (Yoann Richomme and Thomas Ruyant, editor’s note) will come back with the system that will eventually catch up with me. The gaps will narrow over the coming days,” assured Charlie Dalin, who, for now, is between 250 and 500 miles ahead of his closest competitors.
“Not too shabby,” admitted the sailor from Le Havre, preparing to cross the longitude of Cape Leeuwin tomorrow morning. “The Kerguelen Islands are already 1,500 miles behind me, although it feels like I passed them just yesterday. Time flies in this round-the-world race,” declared Dalin.
In third place, Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), speaking on the same Vendée LIVE! French program as his long-time rival Dalin said, “Charlie’s 500 miles ahead; he’s still within reach! This morning’s routing looks quite favorable for the boats further ahead. I feel like I may get left behind, but that’s just my impression… The weather modeling isn’t very precise, so one can never be sure! Between now and Cape Horn, either things will solidify for them (Dalin and Simon) or they will let us catch up. Tonight, we expect to encounter winds of 30-35 knots!”
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