Paris (AFP)

Charlie Dalin (Apivia) still held the lead in the Vendée Globe on Thursday at the end of the day, but his runner-up, the German Boris Herrmann, who will benefit from a time compensation at the finish, and the new 3rd Louis Burton are back on him .

According to projections provided by the organizers on Thursday, the first five boats should cross the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne next Wednesday, followed by four other boats the next day.

With less than a week to go and less than 2,100 nautical miles (3,890 km) from the finish, it is difficult to make predictions.

The western option chosen by Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2), 3rd at 74 nm from the leader (137 km) after passing Thomas Rouillard, could indeed pay off, with apparently more muscular wind conditions.

In Thursday night's standings (17h00 GMT), Dalin retains the lead of the fleet, but his runner-up Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco), narrowed the gap to 65.1 nm (120.5 km).

Thomas Rouillard (LinkedOut) is fourth at 78.9 nm behind the leader, followed by Damien Seguin (Apicil Group) at 106.3 nm.

Former leader Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV), who admitted to being confronted with technical glitches, occupies sixth place at just over 110 nm, followed at about fifty miles by the Italian Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group) .

- 7 sailors in 165 miles -

The final victory should be played between these seven sailors, who stand in less than 165 miles.

In eighth place, Jean Le Cam is nearly 300 miles behind.

If he won at Les Sables d'Olonne, Boris Herrmann would be the first foreigner to win the round-the-world solo non-stop and unassisted race, the first edition of which went to Titouan Lamazou in 1990.

In 2017, Briton Alex Thomson, who retired this year, finished in second place, just under 16 hours behind winner Armel Le Cléac'h.

Born in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony), Herrmann, 39, has, like Bestaven, made his first steps in the Mini class.

In 2001, the youngest competitor at only 20 years old, he finished 11th (in the series category) of the Mini Transat, won in Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) in the prototype category by a certain Yannick Bestaven.

The German, who has proven that he knows how to navigate fast by setting the third fastest time in the Jules-Verne Trophy aboard Francis Joyon's Idec Sport, could create a surprise, he who will benefit, once the line is cut, compensation in time of 6 hours for having diverted to participate in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier.

In addition to Jean Le Cam, who obtained a bonus of 16 hours 15 minutes for having saved and taken Escoffier on board, Bestaven will be able to deduct 10 hours 15 minutes from him once the line has been crossed.

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