The Portuguese islands of Madeira will be passed later today by the leaders of the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe but while the top boats are looking to stay clear and avoid the substantial lee of the island group, the windbreak effect of the high jagged Picos is set to be used by several skippers who need to try and effect repairs to keep their solo non-stop round the world race on track.
Passing at a reasonable speed later today will be the top peloton, with new race leader Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) in charge ahead of Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE).
Hard charging Nico Lunven (Holcim-PRB) is up to fourth after an impressive sprint down the west wing of the fleet at a speed which should give him the solo monohull 24hrs distance record at 546,6 nautical miles (1012.30 km) on the speedy boat which also narrowly holds the WSSRC ratified crewed monohull record at 640,48 miles set in May 2023 on The Ocean Race. Lunven’s mark needs to be officially ratified by the WSSRC.
Problems, problems
But at the same time problems in the fleet are increasing, especially for Maxime Sorel (V and B - Monbana - Mayenne), Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence) and Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe).
Speaking this morning the new race leader Richomme said, “In the Bay of Biscay I missed a few shifts and had some seaweed on the keel so at some point I ended up mid pack but when the wind came in I managed to get away and I managed to do a good rounding of Cape Finisterre I was really fast and I took a bit of risk, I was a but overpowered but I did gain a few places and since then it has been quite nice as the boat is quick downwind in the seaway as you know and I have bee quite fast. I was not expecting to get into the lead, that was a bit of a surprise this morning. I thought Sam and Charlie would be ahead. I have not looked really at the tracking but it does mean we are fast I think everyone was tired after these first couple of days of intense racing.”
Strategy needed
The winds have eased progressively for the leading group, “They have a fairly straight route, with stable conditions and fewer manoeuvres to perform", explained Basile Rochut, weather consultant for the Vendée Globe. “Around Madeira, they will nevertheless have to watch out for the big lee behind the islands. The frontrunners might even be slowed down by an anticyclonic ridge from tomorrow, with weak conditions between the Canaries and Cape Verde.
"The wind will ease, it won't be easy strategically.” Is the analysis of Switzerland’s Alan Roura (Hublot). We'll have to be opportunistic and intelligent". Thomas Ruyant in sixth and dealing with a constant ingress of water to his forwards sail locker also notes "There are choices, differences in wind speed and small shifts and in this case I rather like to be the hunter.
I saw a huge hole in the mainsail, 3 metres by 3 metres something like that, like a big window. And the A7 gennaker is wrapped round the forestay,
Since last night when he was knocked flat in 35-40kts winds Hungary’s Szabolcs Weöres has been struggling towards Madeira with a badly holed mainsail and his small A7 gennaker wrapped round his forestay. He is heading to Maderia to find a sheltered bay to see what he can do.
Szabi reported, “It was a terrible night, 35 to 40kts of wind, huge waves, waves from the side knocked me down, the mast hit the water, tack line slipped out from the gennaker, the boat was coming back up I saw a huge hole in the mainsail, 3 metres by 3 metres something like that, like a big window. And the A7 gennaker is wrapped round the forestay, I could do nothing in 40kts of wind. So I have to find a calm spot so I can get the pieces down of the A7 and see what I can do with the mainsail. It does not look promising. I am very disappointed. We will see what I can do, I will always do my best.”
I was not expecting to get into the lead, that was a bit of a surprise this morning. I thought Sam and Charlie would be ahead. I have not looked really at the tracking but it does mean we are fast
Maxime Sorel’s problems have escalated. He injured his ankle yesterday and is still trying to sort out his mainsail hook problem (a system that allows the sail to be locked off the halyard). "I have to face the facts: the hook is broken," he confides.
He too, like the Hungarian skipper, will for Madeira in order to find shelter and be able to climb back up the mast. "I didn't expect the start of the Vendée Globe to be so complicated.”
Thomas Ruyant is still trying to resolve his water ingress problem at the front of his IMOCA, at the sail locker. "It's sometimes a bit like Niagara Falls with all the water on deck. It takes a lot of energy to pump to empty it, thirty minutes to an hour every two hours, but it doesn't stop me from sailing," he told the French LIVE show. “But hey ho, we'll have other worries and the others will too".
Clarisse Cremer (L'Occitane en Provence) said she has had a "a night from hell". She lost her largest headsail (the large gennaker, Masthead Zero). "Without this sail, the next few days downwind in light airs are not going to be fun" she admits.
Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com) was not been spared either: "I can no longer use my spinnaker which fell in the water and neither can I use my small gennaker. It's frustrating not to be at the maximum of the boat's capacities". He is waiting for the conditions to be more favourable to repair. "I'll go and take shelter near Madeira to repair a bit".
And so while the 40 boat fleet is still fully intact, the Vendée Globe is already giving more than one problem a day…..
