17 days. 22 hours. 58 minutes. That is the incredible new best time for the first leg of the Vendée Globe from Les Sables d'Olonne to the southern tip of South Africa. Alex Thomson even managed it with a broken foil - a clear sign to the fleet of the best Frenchmen, who are pushing the Brit ahead of them. Thomson beat Armel Le Cléac'h's old best time by more than five days with his speedy ride on the Imoca 60 of the latest foiling generation and with the help of a low-pressure area that was faithful for days! Now, however, it is the same Armel Le Cléac'h who, after two second Vendée places in a row, is once again putting pressure on the leader in second place. Despite his handicap, Thomson is still able to keep his French pursuers well in check, but on Friday night the Frenchman had already closed the gap to the leader to 50 nautical miles.
On Thursday, "Safran" skipper Morgan Lagravière, one of the fleet's rookies, was also ruled out with rudder damage. At the time, "Safran" was in an excellent fourth place, which made the end particularly bitter. The 29-year-old Frenchman had initially hoped to be able to repair the steering gear, but has since confirmed his retirement after consulting his partners and the team.
In a report, the shooting star explained why he was unable to continue: "I had a tough night. The autopilot was causing problems. I couldn't control the boat in 20 to 25 knots. I shot into the sun four or five times. When I had a short nap this afternoon, I felt the boat lean to one side. I went out and could see that the leeward rudder had come loose from its attachment and was missing two thirds. I think it was the result of a collision with an unknown drifting object (ed.: "UFO"). Unfortunately, I don't have what I need on board to repair it. So it's over for me. I would like to remember the positive things about this adventure: 18 days of exceptional sailing on board a boat with outstanding sailing characteristics. I was in the leading group the whole time. This single-handed race also gave me the opportunity to find out more about myself. And about what really matters in life. I would like to thank my technical team and all the fans who supported me."
The day ended on a cheerful note as American sailors celebrated Thanksgiving at sea. Rich Wilson (18th) reported from the "Great American IV" that he had been on the phone to family and friends and was looking forward to his feast: "I think there's a freeze-dried pasta dish with turkey waiting for me." Conrad Colman, on the other hand, amusingly reminded his family and friends that they should consider themselves lucky not to have to eat a freeze-dried meal that day.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
