Vendée Globe

Benoît Parnaudeau is the next competitor expected back in Les Sables d’Olonne, on Wednesday or Thursday. This morning at 04.00 GMT, he was only 655 miles from the finishing line. Behind him, Anne Liardet is sailing at slow speed at the heart of the low-pressure area.

Less than 300 miles off Porto (Portugal), Benoît Parnaudeau (Max Havelaar-Best Western) is continuing to climb back up towards Cape Finisterre that he should be rounding late on Monday. As there is a strong wind blowing at the north western tip of Spain, Benoît is having to round the cape more than 200 miles out to sea to avoid the heavy seas on the continental shelf and keep out of the shipping lane, which is not far from the cape. Although sailing upwind in 25-35 knot winds, Benoît was clocking up a fine 9 knots of speed on a bearing of 9°.
That is not the case for Anne Liardet (Roxy), who got stuck at the heart of the low-pressure area, where the light variable winds make sailing particularly difficult, especially in choppy seas. Anne should be picking up a northerly wind later today, which is forecast to strengthen to more than 30 knots. A rapid, tricky change, which will require the yachtswoman to remain extremely vigilant, as she enters the final 1000 miles.
The fastest boat in the fleet this morning was Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Vérandas), who managed to cover more than 200 miles over the previous 24 hours. The north north westerly wind appears to have dropped off to between 10-15 knots allowing Raphaël to show what his monohull is capable of. Dinelli should be happy, as he is on direct course for the Bay of Biscay. Raphaël will be entering into the final 2000 miles of the race this morning.
Like Anne Liardet, Karen Leibovici (Benefic) is not doing particularly well this morning, with the slowest speeds of the four competitors still in the race. The two women are being slowed down in light winds. Nevertheless, the seas in Karen’s ridge of high pressure are not as choppy as those Anne is dealing with in the middle of the low. Karen only covered 88 miles over 24 hours, at a speed of just 3.7 knots. She will have to tack all day long before hoping to pick up a 10-knot northerly to north north westerly wind. But it looks like the worst is behind her.

LLB

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