The Hamburg native's fans must be strong. But Boris himself even more so. Because since yesterday, the chasing pack in the south has made up a lot of ground, including on the leader Charlie Dalin. Nevertheless, there is currently a lot to be said in favour of a victory for the "Macif" skipper.
Jérémie Beyou, who is also one of the top favourites with "Charal", conceded yesterday that Charlie was sailing "in a different stratosphere".
Boris Herrmann and the discovery of slowness
Boris, on the other hand, practised contemplative isolation, which made for fascinating images. In his video from on board, wrapped up in warm clothes, wearing a knitted hat and Norwegian jumper, he reflects on the light of the north and the bizarre feeling of logging around 5 knots in mirror-smooth water - driven only by a weak high current.
Of course, it won't stay this quiet and elegiac for long. Today, the wind should gradually pick up north of the high-pressure core. And it will have to if the northern route is to work out in the end. After all, it looks as if there are no more major hurdles in Boris's way. To the west of Ireland, the north-north-westerly could persist over the weekend and push him to the finish line, where there was still a risk of another high the day before yesterday.
The chasers in the New York Vendée are facing a tough upwind finish
The run of the group in the south, led by Thomas Ruyant, was not to last forever either. By midnight, the pursuers, who had logged around 20 knots by then, had to pass through a light wind area that slowed them down to single figures.
The speed has already picked up again and will remain high today when the small flotilla leaves the Azores to port. However, this will be followed by a long and hard upwind phase - when Boris should have long been travelling room-sail alone in the north in overdrive.
Go to the New York Vendée tracker here.
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
