- The Vendée Globe duel between two giants
- Vendée Globe power player "Par Excellence"
- A Vendée Globe key scene in the Indian Ocean
- With skill and fighting spirit: Richomme's comeback
- Richomme takes the Cape Horn crown
- 10th Vendée Globe: "short", but very intense
- Seb Simon is expected on Friday
- Boris Herrmann sees new opportunity to catch up
"It was an intense game!". With these words, Yoann Richomme crossed the finish line of his first Vendée Globe on Wednesday morning. The "Paprec Arkéa" skipper reached the start and finish harbour of Les Sables-d'Olonne after 65 days, 18 hours, 10 minutes and 2 seconds. In the light wind final, he was 22 hours, 47 minutes and 13 seconds short of the fabulous record set by winner Charlie Dalin.
The Vendée Globe duel between two giants
In the stern water, Yoann Richomme 28.326,09 nautical miles sailed, which he covered at an average speed of 17,95 knots. In direct comparison, the performance of Champion Charlie Dalin. The Vendée Globe winner equalled his fabulous record over 27.666,91 Nautical miles with an average of 17,79 Node.
This meant that Richomme was even faster than Dalin on average, but he had accepted a - later regretted - larger northerly loop in the Indian Ocean in order to avoid a low that Charlie Dalin sailed out of in the south - a key phase of the race. As had been the case since their time together in the Figaro class, Richomme proved to be Dalin's toughest and most relentless opponent until the final days of the race.
The duel between the two exceptional skippers characterised the most important solo around the world. Not to forget that this furious Yoann Richomme had snatched the Cape Horn crown from Charlie Dalin with a few minutes to spare before Dalin was able to catch him again on the final Atlantic ascent.
Vendée Globe power player "Par Excellence"
Yoann Richomme's power play was not surprising. Although he had only set up his project three years before the 10th Vendée Globe and had only two Imoca-Sasions behind him, Richomme was already one of the favourites to win alongside Dalin and other skippers before the start of the race.
The reason for this was his success, his energy, which is so often visible and audible, his navigation expertise and, last but not least, the technical skills that he, like Charlie Dalin, acquired while studying naval architecture in Southampton. Thanks to the collaboration with Koch and Finot-Conq, Yoann Richomme entered the race with a slightly more radical new and ultra-fast Imoca design. He was supported in his first Vendée Globe by the recycling giant Paprec and the bank Arkéa.
Yoann Richomme had found his way quickly and well into his first solo around the world. He had also quickly and effectively removed seaweed from his keel, which had initially given him a bit of a fright after the start. Richomme was back among the top ten boats by the second night and then took control of the field for a day on 13 November at around the latitude of Morocco.
A Vendée Globe key scene in the Indian Ocean
On 20 November, Yoann Richomme broke the 24-hour speed record (551.84 nautical miles), beating the record set a few days earlier by Nicolas Lunven ("Holcim-PRB"). He held the record for around a week before "Groupe Dubreuil" skipper Sébastien Simon surpassed him. Simon has held the record with 615.33 nautical miles over 24 hours since 27 November.
Yoann Richomme, meanwhile, almost always stayed close to Charlie Dalin. He was one of the first to benefit from an astonishing low-pressure area that only fuelled the tip of the fleet on the Atlantic "descent" from the Brazilian coast to the Cape of Good Hope and beyond. Attentive Vendée Globe fans will remember the associated term "Cape Town Express", which many skippers, including Boris Herrmann, missed as the front boats galloped away.
One of the other key scenes took place on the way to the Kerguelen Islands when a large low-pressure system approached. Winds of 60 knots and eight metre high waves were expected. While Charlie Dalin boldly continued his course to the east, Yoann Richomme and other skippers veered to the north, accepting many, many extra nautical miles. "That way, I have an escape route in the event of a problem without being held up by the ZEA (ed.: ice edge in the south)," Richomme explained at the time.
With skill and fighting spirit: Richomme's comeback
But Charlie Dalin and Sébastien Simon took advantage of the low to break away. Dalin extended his lead to over 400 nautical miles. Richomme, on the other hand, was by no means prepared to leave it at this annoying gap. The "Paprec Arkéa" skipper turned up the heat again, pushed the accelerator to the maximum and showed his skills and fighting spirit.
He managed an almost unbelievable comeback of more than 500 miles within a few days. After Richomme had passed Tasmania, he first overtook Seb Simon on 14 December in an almost sensationally unleashed run and then Charlie Dalin, who had already been in the lead for a good two weeks at this point, on 17 December.
What followed was a highly exciting top duel, a fierce duel between the two giants of this Vendée Globe, who constantly outbid each other when analysing the weather data and the settings of their rockets. While Sébastien Simon had to let the two of them go at the end of the Pacific with a broken starboard foil, Yoann Richomem took the race to Cape Horn first. 9 minutes and 30 seconds ahead was enough for him to win the coveted Cape crown, which he celebrated in rousing style.
Richomme takes the Cape Horn crown
Between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn, Richomme was the fastest with 13 days, 9 hours and 13 minutes. He remained the leading man for a further seven days after turning left to cross the South Atlantic. However, on 31 December, when the duo fought their way out of the cold front near Cabo Frio, Dalin relied on his instincts just outside Rio de Janeiro. The eventual winner weaved his way out of the light wind zone and put an end to the cat-and-mouse game with Richomme.
It was this move that proved to be decisive. Dalin took the lead and never relinquished it on the final approach to the start and finish harbour of Les Sables-d'Olonne. When Yoann Richomme finally lost his J0 headsail, it was another minor setback. Richomme gave his all in the final sprint, but was unable to catch Dalin.
However, he celebrated second place at his first Vendée Globe with his family, team, hosts and fans as if it were a victory. The Vendée Globe silver is probably just the beginning of the continuation of his love story with the race. And certainly also a good omen, because it was to be seen what Charlie Dalin could follow up his own silver at the ninth edition this time with added experience.
10th Vendée Globe: "short", but very intense
The fact that Yoann Richomme and his team only took off three years ago was not noticeable to the runner-up at any stage of the race. Even the "short Vendée Globe" was "a long and intense race", said Richomme, alluding to Dalin's new record and his own outstanding time.
The standard is incredibly high. I love it!" Yoann Richomme
After many years in the performance-orientated Figaro class, in which Charlie Dalin also pursued his years of training and further education, Yoann Richomme said on the day of his arrival in Les Sables-d'Olonne: "I don't know how you can still come to the Vendée Globe today without having sailed Figaro for a few years first. The level is incredibly high. I love it!"
Vendée Globe fans are already eagerly anticipating a possible re-run of the duel between Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme in four years' time. Both skippers have signalled the continuation of their campaigns. Charlie Dalin already said the day before: "Why not?".
Seb Simon is expected on Friday
Yoann Richomme said in the first few minutes after crossing the finish line: "I am very proud and I am also thinking of all the people who have helped us, even before, the former sponsors. I would also like to share this with them. It was an incredible adventure! We prepared really well. I was ready in my head, I hardly had to tinker, the boat is ready to go again!"
Meanwhile, the race continued with undiminished intensity for the following skippers. On Wednesday morning, Seb Simon still had a good 400 nautical miles to go to his home port of Les Sables-d'Olonne, where he once learnt to sail as an optician. He is now expected to finish on 17 January between 6 am and 1 pm.
In the fierce battle for fourth to tenth place, "Charal" skipper Jérémie Beyou maintained a lead of just over a dozen nautical miles over Sam Goodchild ("Vulnerable") in the morning of 15 January.
Boris Herrmann sees new opportunity to catch up
"Biotherm" skipper Paul Meilhat was able to defend sixth place despite J2 and jamming, 45 nautical miles behind Goodchild. Around 85 nautical miles behind him towards the end of race day 66 was "Holcim - PRB" skipper Nico Lunven. A further 100 nautical miles behind him, Justine Mettraux ("TeamWork - Team Snef") remained in attack mode, as did her pursuers Thomas Ruyant ("Vulnerable") and Boris Herrmann.
The "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper had said the day before when congratulating Charlie Dalin that he sees new opportunities to catch up in a few days' time. The 43-year-old from Hamburg, who is currently tenth in the Vendée Globe fleet, has by no means given up on advancing again.
