For three days now, Jean-Pierre Dick has managed to square the circle: he is sailing his "Virbac Paprec 3" across the Atlantic without a keel bomb. He had lost the bomb, which weighs several tonnes and is so important for the configuration of the boat, 550 nautical miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. "My dream of third place," Dick reported shortly afterwards, "has suddenly sunk."
Since then, the 47-year-old, whom his friend Loïck Peyron calls the "gentleman skipper", has been sailing like a volcano that could erupt at any time. The only thing keeping Dick and his "Virbac Paprec 3" on course is the remaining keel shaft, the rudder, the sails and, above all, the movable water ballast. "It's not easy," says Dick, "I'm in a high-pressure area with only twelve or thirteen knots of wind. Not an easy task for a boat without a keel. I can't set large sails, but the ballast tanks are full and provide a certain degree of stability. I've spoken to Bilou and Marc Guillemot, who have both experienced similar situations. Of course I could sail faster with a keel. I'm no longer thinking too much about my third place. I'll see if I can finish the race if the conditions allow it, but I can't take too much risk for myself or the boat. I should reach the Azores around 27 January. There I could encounter about 25 knots of westerly winds. That will help me to see how the boat moves when the swell and wind pick up. I'll then make my decision based on the elements and in dialogue with a few other people."
Thomson on the podium?
Dick's lead over fourth-placed Brit Alex Thomson had dwindled to around 35 nautical miles by Friday morning. It is only a matter of time before Thomson overtakes the Frenchman. For Dick, who was unfortunate enough to be eliminated in the last Vendée Globe, reaching the finish line would be the greatest possible success - regardless of his position.
François Gabart and Armel Le Cléac'h have other plans. The duel between the two leading skippers continues. Two days before the expected finish, Gabart defended a fairly comfortable lead of around 100 nautical miles. However, there are still around 900 nautical miles to go before the finish line amid increasing shipping traffic.
The Race Village opens today
In the meantime, the small French harbour town of Les Sables d'Olonne with its population of only around 14,000 is preparing for a state of emergency. Up to half a million visitors are expected over the next few days in the Race Village, which opens its doors to visitors today at 10am. The official opening ceremony will take place in the afternoon at 3 pm. According to current forecasts, the first heroes are expected on Sunday morning. Twelve of the 20 solo skippers who originally started are still in the race.
