Vendee Globe: Race leader emerges as fleet surges through the Atlantic – Day 2
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 11 Nov 00:10 PST
11 November 2024
Sam Davies – Initiatives Coeur – Start Vendee Globe – Les Sables d’Olonne – IMOCA60 – November 10, 2024 © Jean-Louis Carli
Charlie Dalin, the race favorite, has taken the lead in the Vendee Globe solo non-stop circumnavigation race on the morning of Day 2.
After the start yesterday in light winds, the fleet has caught a breeze enabling them to sail downwind past Cape Finisterre at speeds of 16-17 knots. Dalin is navigating in a 20-knot northeast wind and is currently (0630hrs CET – 0530hrs UTC) heading west, although course forecasts indicate he will follow a zig-zag route towards Finisterre.
Dalin, sailing MACIF, was in second place earlier, trailing Sebastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil), who is moving at a slightly reduced pace but in the same direction. British sailor Sam Goodchild is in third, cruising at 15.3 knots, also heading westward. Goodchild is now over 3 nautical miles behind Simon, who is 2 nautical miles behind Dalin.
Conrad Colman (NZL/USA) began one hour late due to entanglement of his propeller with a sheet; the team opted to make repairs before the start and lowered his mainsail. According to race regulations, he was required to start an hour later, which he did at 1417hrs CET on a new line designated by race officials. By 0630hrs CET on Day 2, he had climbed to 17th position among the 40-boat fleet.
However, the latest updates from the Event indicate that Colman is experiencing an electronic blackout, though it remains unclear if this issue can be fixed. In the previous 2016 race, he faced an electrical fire. Colman aims to sail the entire race without using fossil fuels, a goal he accomplished in the 2016 Vendee despite dismasting 800 nautical miles from the finish, sailing the remainder of the race under jury rig. His team has informed Sail-World that the blackout has been resolved and that there are no severe problems.
Despite his late start, Colman on MS Amlin managed to chart a more favorable course than the fleet and briefly led the race. In the morning report, he told Vendee Globe media: “The night went well; we’re gybing in the shifts to capitalize on the wind variations to head southwest. The shifts are significant, between 30 and 35 degrees, so there’s a lot of gybing involved, each requiring considerable mental and physical effort, and there’s much VHF communication among us for coordinating gybes. Everything is going smoothly; it’s been a good night, and I’m just happy to be out here, though there’s a lot of work to do.”
He explained that a sheet from his large gennaker had entered the water and wrapped around the propeller. “This caused the engine to stall, jammed the sheet, and rendered the boat less maneuverable. I chose to keep my crew with me, which meant I didn’t meet the deadlines to disembark them [5 minutes before the start], preventing me from starting with everyone else, even slightly late! Therefore, I requested to take advantage of the staggered start protocol.”
Leading the female competitors, Justine Mettraux (SUI) – Teamwork – Team SNEF – is currently ranked fifth overall, 9 nautical miles behind Dalin. Clarisse Cremer (L’Occitane en Provence) holds the second female position in 13th overall, 18 nautical miles behind the race leader.
Among the fleet, the eldest sailor is Jean le Cam (65 years old), a veteran of six Vendee Globe races, currently in 10th place and leading the daggerboard IMOCA60s. He is sailing a new boat at a speed of 14.5 knots, 15 nautical miles behind the leader. The youngest competitor, Violette Dorange (23 years old), who received mentorship from Le Cam before the start of the Vendee, is in 20th place, trailing the leader by 24 nautical miles. Close behind her are fellow female sailors, Pip Hare from Britain (22nd overall) and Sam Davies (GBR/FRA), who is in 23rd overall.
