In the last 24 hours, Neuschäfer was able to cover the longest distance with 170 nautical miles and reached speeds of over 7 knots under spinnaker. Meanwhile, Tomy from India is battling his way through a low-pressure area further north with his battered "Bayanat". To the west of Portugal, or Cape Finisterre, there are only around 900 nautical miles to go to the finish in Les Sables-d'Olonne. Whose boat will be the first to cross the finish line is therefore still completely open - incredible after 228 days at sea so far.
The time credits to which Neuschäfer and Tomy are entitled promise additional excitement, as both were involved in the rescue of the Finn Tapio Lehtinen in the Indian Ocean on 19 November 2022. Accordingly, Neuschäfer, who was eventually able to get Lehtinen on board, is credited with 35 hours and Tomy with 12 hours. Due to similar circumstances, Yannick Bestaven won the last Vendée Globe, although Charlie Dalin was the first to cross the finish line.
The Brit Simon Curven, who is currently leading the field of three but is sailing outside the classification due to his shore leave in Chile, seems unimpressed by this and has his sights set on the triple: first boat to the finish, winner of the Chichester classification and mooring in time for his birthday on 4 May.
Austria's Michael Guggenberger is still in a formidable third place in the Golden Globe Race, having now left the nerve-wracking Doldrums behind him on his Biscay 36 and with around 2,300 nautical miles to go.
That leaves Jeremy Bagshaw from South Africa, who is the last in the field to fight his way through the light wind zone and still has around 3,100 nautical miles to sail to the finish in Les Sables- d'Olonne.
Golden Globe Race: more on the topic
Golden Globe Race 2022: What has happened so far
- Golden Globe Update 19: Dramatic distress at sea - skipper rescued
- Golden Globe Update 18: Kirsten Neuschäfer's lead has melted away considerably
- Golden Globe Update 17: "Too hard - physically and emotionally exhausted"
- Golden Globe Update 16: Six months non-stop at sea!
- Golden Globe Update 15: Kirsten Neuschäfer is the first to round Cape Horn
- Golden Globe Update 14: Storms, breaches and capsizes in the South Pacific
- Golden Globe Update 13: Knockdown knocks Simon Curwen out of the running
- Golden Globe Update 12: Chasers pass the Hobart stopover
- Golden Globe Update 11: Simon Curwen reaches Hobart first
- Golden Globe Update 10: Bowsprit breakage and vegetation slow down sailors
- Golden Globe Update 9: Why it sank " Asteria " ?
- Golden Globe Update 8: Neuschäfer rescues Lehtinen from distress at sea
- Golden Globe Update 7: Emotional moments off Cape Town
- Golden Globe Update 6: Cape Town in the wake, Neuschäfer in second place
- Golden Globe Update 5: New breach on board the "PRB"
- Golden Globe Update 4: Three new videos from the high seas
- Golden Globe Update 3: Sailors reach first media stop
- Golden Globe Update 2: Shipwreck at Guy de Boer in the Canary Islands
- Golden Globe Update 1: Break, comeback and the first task
