Expansion and compression. Stretching and rebounding. The elastic effect is seen all the way through the Vendée Globe fleet. Mostly it is driven by the evolution and timing of weather systems, especially in the train of low pressures in the Southern Oceans, where the wind comes from the west, from behind for the fleet travelling east.
But equally traversing across a transition zone of light airs, the leading boats will slow first, those still in the wind will catch up until the front runners will escape first into the new breeze.
Ping!
And so usually the elastic effect works in both senses. But sometimes, as in life, it snaps and there is no repair. Since Cape Horn the elastic effect has been evident between the Vendée Globe leaders Yoann Richomme (PAPREC-ARKÉA) and Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance). Between yesterday and this morning leader Richomme saw a 110 miles lead evaporate like snow off a dyke in the hot sun as Dalin returned in better breeze when he slowed crossing the axis of a high pressure zone.
This morning Dalin’s lead was at less than 10 miles but this by the afternoon Richomme is breaking first into the new easterly breeze to the north side of the ridge and is dong double Dalin’s speed.
Warming up
All the time for the leading double act the temperatures are rising, a welcome relief after the Big South. By Sunday they can be back to shorts and t-shirts off Rio racing downwind under a low pressure system generated much closer to the normal cyclogenesis zone than the one which, just over a month ago, they rode rapidly across the South Atlantic into the Indian Ocean.
If there is an adage most applicable to the leaders, it has been ‘rich get richer’. Damien Seguin (Groupe Apicil) has not managed to replicate the form she showed on the last race when he was seventh and actually crossed the line as first daggerboard boat, “In all situations, whether at the front, in the middle or at the back of the fleet, it is definitely not ideal to be behind because the advantage always goes to those who lead the way. There is a bit of a lull behind me and it moved faster than I expected. As a result, I slowed down a bit more than I thought. It’s a shame,” added the double Paralympic champion who has closed right up to Romain Attanasio (Fortinet Best Western),
“The elastic is constantly stretching and relaxing. It’s difficult to make things happen all the way through with the weather systems we currently have,” noted Seguin who explains that the forecast conditions in the Pacific are so often far removed from the reality
Stretch!
But the elastic stretches for Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) who has opened a 100-mile lead since yesterday which he should carry round Cape Horn tomorrow in fourth place. “It’s funny these accordion effects. It all really depends on the timings we have,” said Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) who is feeling the negative effects of losing hard earned miles to the boats in front and Swiss racer Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef) join the rear of the peloton.
A Vendée first?
Meantime in third place Les Sables d’Olonne’s Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) is hoping that the elastic has snapped for the boats 900 miles behind him. After rounding Cape Horn yesterday he is was making good progress just east of the Falklands but in turn he has multiple transition zones to cross. Speaking on the Vendée Globe LIVE! English show today he cautioned against any thoughts of him becoming the first skipper from Les Sables d’Olonne to finish on the podium of the race. Speaking to Hélène Noesmoen, Les Sables d’Olonne’s iQFOiL World Champion and 2024 Olmpian – who he started sailing Optimists with. he said, “Nothing is done yet. I wanted to get to Cape Horn in good shape which I am and now I just have to do my best and we will see.”
