Paris (AFP)

Close to the coast, there is no salvation: as they pass Recife, at the eastern tip of Brazil, the top five in the Vendée Globe are looking to get away from the land to avoid finding themselves trapped in less windy areas.

"We know that on the coast, there is a little less wind, and stormy phenomena which make it less easy to get by near Brazil", explained Damien Seguin early Friday morning.

Fifth, 52.6 miles (97.4 km) behind leader Charlie Dalin, the skipper of Groupe Apicil chose the most easterly route in the leading group.

A strategic choice made for "several days", and shared with Boris Herrmann, third.

The German skipper of Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco sails a hundred miles off the Brazilian coast, an option that clearly pays off, since Herrmann has reduced his lag behind the leader by more than 50 nm in 24 hours.

Over the past day, only Jérémie Beyou (Charal), 14th, cut through the waves faster than him, averaging 16.5 knots against 15.7 for Herrmann.

Second, twenty miles behind Dalin, Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) certainly sensed the danger.

During the night, it thus altered its trajectory to go slightly further east.

And the last member of the quintet Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut), ejected from the virtual podium by Herrmann, could soon do the same.

Less than 4,000 theoretical miles from the return to Les Sables d'Olonne, the race is tight and there are many uncertainties.

- Repairs, "not easy"!

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"We are at nearly 70 days of racing and the equipment is starting to show signs of fatigue," warns Seguin.

Within the leading peloton, Dalin and Rettant both experienced foiling problems, Louis Burton suffered an avalanche of damage off New Zealand, Herrmann tore his mainsail near Cape Horn ...

Another unlucky, Clarisse Crémer (12th, Banque Populaire X) suffered to repair her J2, a headsail.

"I don't have a lot of technical experience with big boats (...) I spent the day there and it was not easy!", She admitted Friday morning.

Martyred by particularly difficult weather conditions throughout this ninth edition of the Vendée Globe, the first skippers are approaching the formidable doldrums.

Announced as "fairly low in latitude and not very extensive" by the race management, "is it as stalled as some seem to suggest?", She asks.

No, would like to answer Yannick Bestaven.

Sixth at less than 100 nm from Dalin (97 nm to be precise, around 180 km), the skipper of Maître Coq IV will be the first to benefit from a slowing down of the leading quintet.

© 2021 AFP