Every week since the start of the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin has kept a logbook for Europe 1. On his monohull Apivia, the 36-year-old skipper tells about the weather changes and the future events that await him in this unmanned, non-stop race .
TESTIMONY
In this sixth week of the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin is catching up on Yannick Bestaven, still in the lead. The 36-year-old skipper, who is competing in his first edition on his Apivia monohull, has been in the top three for over a week. It leaves behind the Indian Ocean and is currently in the Pacific where the weather conditions are much more comfortable. A few days before Christmas spent away from his family, the navigator confides in his weekly logbook on Europe 1, recorded on Friday.
"The Indian Ocean is behind it, it's over. Before the Vendée Globe, I asked Michel Desjoyeaux to know that it was the most difficult part, he replied that it was the "Indian Ocean. What is certain is that so far it has clearly been the hardest part. The Pacific starts off very well, but it is still very long. The Indian Ocean has been particularly unforgiving, and I am happy to discover the Pacific For now, we have idyllic sailing conditions despite the cold: at night it is between 3 and 5 ° C, but the day is sunny and it warms the boat.
"Today I am confident"
The sea has calmed down, we have pleasant conditions for sailing and I am tasting the Pacific Ocean for the first time since I make my fresh water from ocean water.
I'm going to do an inspection on my calabash again to see what it looks like.
We are in the process of strengthening the installation to make it hold, but today I am confident.
I regularly observe my foil, I see that it does not move, that it is well maintained.
I have a calendar that my partner made for me, with little envelopes.
Every time I take out a bag of food, I have an envelope with candy or Christmas themed photos of friends that are fun.
It feels good to see friends, family in pictures, and I prefer the days when they are pictures than the days when they are candy.
That's a great idea.
Every day I have an Advent calendar-style envelope to open and that's what motivates me to go get my new bag of food.
We are approaching the Pacific, and I prefer to have short-term objectives.
There is Cape Horn at the end of the Pacific which symbolizes its exit, but first I am thinking of crossing the longitude of New Zealand, then crossing the longitude of the antimeridian where I will retreat or advance by a day - I have to check -.
Then the passage near the Nemo point.
Afterwards, I will think of Cape Horn. "