Fortune and sailing conditions remain unevenly distributed in the top ten of the Vendée Globe at the end of the sixth week of sailing. The front runners Charlie Dalin ("Macif Santé Prévoyance"), Yoann Richomme ("Paprec Arkéa") and Sébastien Simon are experiencing almost optimal winds as they rapidly approach the third and already last big cape of the Vendée Globe. On the other hand, conditions are rather choppy for their hunters on course for Point Nemo and Cape Horn.
Vendée Globe leader: Two jibes to Cape Horn
The Pacific remains very accessible for the leading trio, even if Vendée Globe frontrunner Charlie Dalin has recently experienced somewhat lighter winds and his stubborn challenger Yoann Richomme had closed in on him again early Saturday morning. After almost 15,500 nautical miles, the two French rivals are separated by just two nautical miles in the latitudes of the "screaming fifties"!
Attacker Richomme reported early in the morning on 21 December: "In the current conditions we have 20 to 25 knots of wind. And it will stay that way until Cape Horn. Once the boat is set and trimmed, it almost sails itself. Apart from the fact that you have to keep an eye on everything and steer the course and the various manoeuvres, it's really easy! There's not much to think about. It's very simple: we still have two jibes to Cape Horn."
The "Paprec Arkéa" skipper also realises that things won't continue like this after that: "After that, things will get complicated on the course across the Atlantic. And that will be interesting! But there are no plans to change sails before the Horn. It's just straight ahead. That's magical." However, the dream of Cape Horn in sight could be shattered for Dalin and Richomme, as Richomme explained: "I hope we won't be too far from the rock and might be able to see it, but for now it means we'll be passing at night!"
Rough conditions for the top ten chasers
In view of the current less challenging conditions, Yoann Richomme took the time to compare the strengths and weaknesses of his Koch/Finot Conq design and Charlie Dalin's Verdier design: "Charlie and I don't have the same boat. His hull design allows him to be faster than me in room sheet conditions and on more acute courses. But on the other hand, his bow is more likely to bang into the waves than mine! So I usually feel more comfortable on downwind courses. These are two boats that have been optimised in two different areas of possibility."
Nico Lunven explained the difference between the more favourable conditions for the leading trio and the rough and unstable challenges facing their pursuers on Saturday morning. Behind the fourth-placed "Vulnerable" skipper Thomas Ruyant in fifth place and well in the race, "Holcim - PRB" skipper Lunven explained why the chasers of the leading three boats are struggling more than they would like.
If you sail fast, you break everything. If you try to slow down, you won't make good progress." Nico Lunven
Boris Herrmann's former Ocean Race navigator Nico "The Brain" Lunven said: "We are almost in the centre of the southern Pacific. One week to Cape Horn. I hope so. I was expecting a long and gentle Pacific swell, but unfortunately there is a short and rough wave at 30, 35 knots downwind. It's not very pleasant. It's very hard to find the right settings for the boat."
Boris Herrmann attacks the defending champion again
According to Lunven, the wind is constantly going up and down: "Sometimes you have 20, sometimes 32 knots. That's pretty demanding. I think it will continue like this almost all the way to Cape Horn. We just have pretty complicated conditions." Boris Herrmann had already described it in exactly the same way the day before.
The "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper defended his eighth place at the end of the 41st race day of the Vendée Globe, 1253 nautical miles behind Charlie Dalin. He came within 50 nautical miles of the defending champion. Boris Herrmann also reported "difficult seas", "chaotic seas" and "irregular winds", which made it difficult to maintain a regular boat speed.
A different cape, different challenges
While the leaders can already envisage the longed-for encounter with Cape Horn at Christmas and in the days after, the Chinese Jingkun Xu ("Singchain Team Haikou") is only just looking towards the longitude of Cape Leeuwin. However, 5740 nautical miles behind Charlie Dalin, Jingkun Xu has an even more important intermediate goal in mind for himself and his supporters: crossing the longitude of the city of Haikou (110° East). It is the home harbour of his sponsors on the island of Hainan.
Jingkun Xu said: "Cape Leeuwin is coming soon! But before that I will pass the 110th longitude east. The city of Haikou, where my sponsor is located, is on this longitude. My shore team has prepared gifts for me for this event, along with the Christmas presents I'm hoping for. I will open them on the evening of the 24th!"
Jingkun Xu had some good news for his legions of fans: "Next Monday, I will be doing a live broadcast in Chinese with our race director Hubert Lemonnier on the Chinese social networks and for our Chinese internet users. In the hope that as many Chinese people as possible will get to know this race!"
Sometimes I take time to chat with the seabirds." Jingkun Xu
The first Chinese participant in Vendée Globe history reported on his life on board: "Time passes very quickly at sea, there is a lot to do: I carry out two safety checks a day. You have to study the weather. There are lots of small repairs and sometimes I take time to chat to the seabirds! So a day goes by quickly!"
Sometimes the weather forecast predicts 30 knots of wind. In reality, I get gusts of 45 to 50 knots. That's the worst." Jingkun Xu
Jingkun Xu said of his passage in the Indian Ocean: "The Indian Ocean is difficult and complicated. There is a lot of wind and waves, it is difficult to move around on board. There is water everywhere. The day before yesterday I had north-easterly winds for a long time. I even thought I had downloaded the wrong weather because it was so different to what was forecast! Tomorrow I seem to have another big challenge with heavy weather. I'll tell you a bit later what I experienced! I currently have 40 knots of wind."
For those interested in routing: Here Yoann Richomme looks ahead to the routing for the coming days.
The link to the afternoon programme Vendée Globe Live on 21 December at 2.30 pm with Swiss Oliver Heer and navigator Libby Greenhalgh:
