Paris (AFP)
A round-the-world trip in 80 days, total suspense with five sailors expected Wednesday morning in a pocket square and a first-come who will not necessarily be the winner: this is the final script for the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe.
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Completely new
"We will have nine boats in less than three days and above all in one day we risk having five. There, having such a tight suspense, in addition to several boats and the fact of adding these compensatory times (bonuses granted after the rescue of Kevin Escoffier, Editor's note) is completely new. This is the first time in an offshore race that we have seen this, "said race director Jacques Caraës to AFP.
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A 'real' ranking on Friday
The current ranking is calculated based on the direct route to the finish, in Les Sables d'Olonne, which does not reflect the actual situation at sea (weather and strategy).
"From Friday the four, five leaders will have a converging route towards Les Sables. It is a rather strategic moment. As there is a lot of lateral distance between those who are positioned more to the east and those more to the 'West, the game will become more and more precise and we will be able to know the exact leader ", explains Jacques Caraës.
The top five are Charlie Dalin (Apivia), Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco), Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut), Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) and Yannick Bestaven (FRA / Maître Coq IV).
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An anticyclone, the Azores, a depression and wind on arrival
The head of the fleet bypassed a high pressure cell on Friday to then recover a low pressure flow.
She will be in the Azores (Portugal) during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
"There are certainly boats that will pass through the Azores archipelago, others that have routes further north and others further south. There are islands that can cause winds (wind bubbles) by reliefs, it can block one or two boats, "notes Jacques Caraës.
After the Azores, things should go very quickly until the finish.
Boats cut off from a foil (appendage that allows you to fly) will have to be cunning when gybing (changing tack with the wind at your back), that is to say put the boat on the right side at the right time to grab the wind and fly away.
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It's going to be played for nothing
"It can be an hour. Today we are unable to say it. Between the first in real time and the second it can be an hour and here I am not adding our compensatory time stories either", says Jacques Caraës.
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Bonuses cloud the game
Three boats among the first in the fleet received time compensation a month ago for having participated in the rescue of a wrecked competitor, Kevin Escoffier (PRB), on the night of November 30 to December 1: Herrmann (6 hours ), Bestaven (10 hours 15 minutes) and Jean Le Cam / Yes We Cam!
(16 hours 15 minutes).
These hourly bonuses will be deducted from their total time once the line is crossed.
Herrmann was third on Friday morning.
"That's why we have a special finish, the boats push to the maximum because there are these stories of time", analyzes the race director.
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The first step necessarily the winner
"The first to cross the line will be the first to complete the race, sportingly and in real time. On the other hand, we cannot say that he is the winner of the Vendée Globe," warns Jacques Caraës.
"The three boats with an advantage could get on the podium. There will inevitably be some disappointment, on the other hand they know the game. It can be very impacting, winning the Vendée Globe in real time and feeling overtaken for a time compensation ".
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Designation of the winner
The designation of the winner should "go fairly quickly".
"On the other hand, for the full podium it's a little more complicated, we will probably have to wait for the last 24, 48 hours and the progression of Jean Le Cam".
The winner will be a foil boat.
Classic drift boats like Le Cam or Damien Seguin (Apicil Group) "won't be able to go back on these foilers, certainly not".
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Arrival Wednesday morning but problem with the tide
"These are arrivals rather in the morning Wednesday for the very first. On the other hand, to return to the pontoon, one is necessarily linked to the tide times, the boats cannot return to the port before 13:30", indicates Jacques Caraës.
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