Vendée Globe Day 3: Sam Goodchild Takes the Lead Near Portugal?
by Vendée Globe Media 12 Nov 09:39 PST
12 November 2024
Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) has taken the lead in the Vendée Globe solo race as the 40-boat fleet moves south along the Iberian Peninsula.
As he passes through Portugal today with French competitor Charlie Dalin chasing him 22 nautical miles behind, Goodchild was nearing Lisbon in the afternoon and should reach Gibraltar’s latitude tonight.
This British skipper, racing in his first Vendée Globe, has benefited from a route slightly closer to the coast than Dalin and others behind, navigating calmer areas while covering fewer miles and executing fewer maneuvers. This afternoon, he was adjusting his position to reduce the gap from the French skipper, who is considered a pre-race favorite.
Finisterre is Behind
The fleet has mostly passed the strong winds and rough seas off Cape Finisterre, in the challenging NW corner of Spain, and is now heading south, where the conditions are milder, allowing for some much-needed rest.
For now, it appears that Goodchild may have outsmarted the crafty Dalin, one of the leading meteorological strategists in the race. The Brit has fared well in both light and strong winds that characterized the first two days of the competition, which began on Sunday from Les Sables d’Olonne.
However, less wind is anticipated ahead as they navigate down a tight corridor of pressure, possibly providing an opportunity for boats trailing behind to gain ground. Still, this is a significant morale boost for the 35-year-old Goodchild, who first attended the Vendée Globe as an 18-year-old working with British sailor Mike Golding.
In Thomson’s Wake?
The challenge of maintaining his lead is considerable, with the conditions differing significantly from the last edition where British sailor Alex Thomson also held the lead after overcoming Tropical Storm Theta to cross the Equator first after 9 days and 23 hours. Thomson also led the 2018 race and set the current record for crossing the Equator at 9 days and 7 hours.
Conditions during the second night at sea were harsh, with winds reaching 40 knots and confused seas leading to another night with little sleep.
Speaking during the Vendée Globe LIVE show in French this morning, second-placed Dalin remarked: “There was a lot of wind and maneuvers. Luckily, it’s not like this every day in the Vendée Globe; I wouldn’t want to experience too many days like the last two. The wind was quite intense, with rough seas, but it’s improving. I now have 18°C in the cockpit. Since being in the Bay of Biscay, I’ve been maintaining good speed. It’s encouraging to find speed after a slow start. It’s been quite challenging with these short gybes downwind because there’s barely any time to recover before you have to go again.”
Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) has steadily moved up the fleet, benefiting from stronger winds allowing his powerful boat to perform well, placing him in ninth position this afternoon as the fastest in the Top 10.
Offshore or Inshore?
The decision to go outside the Traffic Separation Scheme to the west of Finisterre was a wise choice made by several skippers, notably Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef) and Nico Lunven (HOLCIM PRB) from Switzerland.
Lunven is now the furthest west, more than 180 miles behind the leader, stating, “I wanted to keep it simple and wasn’t comfortable passing inside the DST of Cape Finisterre due to coastal traffic, high winds, and rough seas while gybing. I preferred a straightforward route, even if it meant losing a bit of time. Unfortunately, I had a rudder issue last night when the rudder bar broke off, requiring some repairs, which cost me time.”
That said, current routings suggest that an offshore gain could help them catch back up with the leading group.
Feeling Exhausted
Britain’s Pip Hare (Medallia) revealed on Vendée LIVE that she, like many others, has found it challenging to rest and is currently low on energy after the taxing calm and then windy initial phase.
From her position in 24th place today, Hare remarked, “It’s been pretty relentless. After drifting across the line, we had 48 hours of intense sailing—lots of maneuvers and gybes. The sea state became quite rough this morning after navigating between the TSS and Finisterre, but it feels like I’ve only managed short naps before needing to get back to work. I’ve definitely burned a lot of energy! Honestly, I’m not too focused on my standing in the fleet; I didn’t start as well as I’d hoped, and it’s easy to dwell on that. I struggle at the start of races to find my rhythm, but there’s a long way to go.”
Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) is also making her way up to 17th place, saying, “I think something got caught around my keel, and I took the wrong approach, but I expect some compression ahead.”
Making her debut on the French LIVE was 23-year-old newcomer Violette Dorange (Devenir), the youngest skipper in the race, sailing the boat her mentor Jean Le Cam raced to a fourth-place finish last time, known as Hubert. “I took off my spinnaker a bit prematurely; I lost some distance because I wanted to play it safe, but I’m regaining ground, and I’m focusing on my own race. The fleet had a lot of crossing. Opting to pass to the west of the TSS seemed simpler, making the routing fairly straightforward. Hubert is a fantastic boat—my little home. I feel good on board and know her well! I was a bit anxious before the start when the wind picked up, but I’m finding my rhythm now. It’s great practice to get my bearings in the wind before heading south.”
Learn More…
