The skipper Charlie Dalin.

-

AFP

Thursday December 31

Dalin quietly returns to Bestaven

The gap is narrowing, in the lead.

Of course, we must give credit to Yannick Bestaven for 10 virtual hours that will be offered to him on arrival at Les Sables d'Olonne for being confused during the rescue of Kevin Escoffier, but Charlie Dalin is far from having said his last word .

In 24 hours, the skipper of Apivia has recovered nearly 100 nautical miles from the leader of the race and is rushing at full speed towards Cape Horn, the third and final course of the race.

Behind, Damien Seguin took back third place from Thomas Rettant in a permanent crossover.

Classification:

1. Yannick Bestaven, Maître Coq IV


2. Charlie Dalin, Apivia, 109 nautical miles


3. Damien Séguin, Apicil, 270 nautical miles

Cape Horn is shaping up (badly)

The monster arrives.

Known as terrible for its weather conditions, the passage of Cape Horn should not spare the leading peloton of this Vendée Globe.

A depression is announced for the next few days, while Bestaven should pass the symbolic course on Friday or Saturday.

The gusts blowing from the north-west will indeed not be a piece of cake, while offering an opportunity to again build a significant gap for those who hook up the right wagon.

The depression expected from Friday could indeed help split the top eleven into two groups.

And finally to create gaps between the leaders, who are currently standing at 10 in 500 miles.

The leader's eve

Yannick Bestaven was on vacation last night in the Vendée.

The occasion therefore to hear a little from the leader of this Vendée Globe on all subjects: weather forecast, Cape Horn, pursuers and ... New Year's Eve of the 31st. “New Years Eve will not be party favors and mother-in-law's tongues and more, as all nightclubs are closed, he explains.

It will be an evening like any other!

Of course, I'm going to call my family and friends ashore who are going to celebrate New Years Eve, but that's it.

It doesn't matter much to me, even if there are plenty of ways to disconnect at sea: I live a bit from day to day.

The new year is not going to change the way I sail or the weather to come!

"

Escoffier's WhatsApp, documents for history

We can't resist the urge to offer you this little image.

This is an excerpt from an instagram story published by survivor Kévin Escoffier, in which he makes public the WhatsApp he sent to his team to announce that his boat was sinking and that he was in great danger.

Three short messages: "I'm sinking", "I'm not joking", "Lauday".

With a big lesson to learn: in the event of great danger at sea, avoid leaving the autocorrect of your telephone, it would be screwed to replace "Mayday" by "Lauday".

Fortunately, that did not prevent Kévin Escoffier from being saved.

Words that have entered the history of the Vendée Globe.



A month after the sinking of the IMOCA PRB, @KevinEscoffier found the text messages sent to his team ashore.


In a nice text published yesterday on his Instagram account, the skipper also gives an appointment in 2024 😉 # VG2020 pic.twitter.com/tjDTgAFkpS

- Vendée Globe (@VendeeGlobe) December 30, 2020

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