A resident of Les Sables wishes the sailors of the Vendée Globe good

luck

before the start on November 8, 2020. -

Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS / SIPA

An interminable descent.

The Vendée Globe skippers are starting to feel desperate on this long and slow descent of the Atlantic.

Everyone tries to find the best way to get a little wind, which is more than rare.

Charlie Dalin and Thomas Rettant, who are still in the lead, have descended so low that they are almost at the “exclusion zone”.

We explain all that to you.

The classification at 9:00 a.m.

1. Charlie Dalin (Apivia) 19,150 miles from the finish

2. Thomas Rouillard (LinkedOut) 72 miles behind the leader

3. Jean Le Cam (Yes we Cam!) 363 miles behind the leader

4. Kevin Escoffier (PRB) 442 miles behind the leader

5. Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV) 449 miles behind the leader

In search of the lost wind

“I no longer imagined the South Atlantic as the fastest zone around the world, and well it's missed!

Like everyone else, Charlie Dalin is struggling to find the right route to the Cape of Good Hope.

A real puzzle.

“We spend time at the chart table to find the way.

We know the outline, but there are many subtleties to manage, ”adds his runner-up, Thomas Rettant.

The same goes for the big pack of pursuers, where the youngsters with long teeth despair of being able to fully exploit their boat equipped with foils to finally pass in front of Jean Le Cam, solid third.

"It's a strange feeling: Imagine you are sitting on the side of the road wondering if someone will pick you up someday", illustrates Boris Herrmann, 6th at a hundred miles from the dean.

“Last night, there was 3 knots of wind and, with a snap of the fingers, we were picking up 20 knots, which put the boat down.

It was nice, it gave the atmosphere, said this Wednesday morning Kevin Escoffier.

It is not easy to decide.

There is a file which sends me to 100 ° full East, and the other which sends me due South.

In these cases, you have to go fast.

I have made four sail changes since last night.

"

All these beautiful people therefore continue for the moment to head south, waiting for a sign of Aeolus.

Be careful not to go too far.

The two leaders are slowly but surely approaching the “exclusion zone”.

Késaco, this exclusion zone?

Before departure, the organizers always delimit a zone where navigation is prohibited.

Its small name is the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (ZEA), traced by 72 GPS points and separated by 5 °, if you want to know everything.

Sailors are not allowed to enter for safety reasons.

Will have to go east at some point anyway.

- screenshot

The goal is to avoid icebergs, of course, but ice positions aren't the only things taken into account.

Areas of heavy maritime traffic, with freighters and container ships, are also excluded.

Australian maritime authorities are also giving instructions for the fleet to pass through a specific area where they have the capacity to deploy air forces to spot vessels in difficulty.

News from Sébastien Destremau

The skipper of "Merci" has been stationary for 24 hours now.

On Tuesday morning, he had reported to the race director a major keel damage, which forced him to stop his boat.

“I'm fixing the hydraulic system and trying to regain control of the keel,” he explained during a short session.

Then I can move forward on the rest, I do it step by step.

There is oil all over the boat, even on my pillow and it is not very pleasant.

»Courage Seb.

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