Vendée Globe

How long the road is that leads to Les Sables d’Olonne! The four competitors still racing in this Vendée Globe are having a real rough time of it on this climb up the Atlantic. From the most Southern competitor, Karen Leibovici (Benefic), to the sailor who is the closest to deliverance, Benoît Parnaudeau (Max Havelaar-Best Western)less than 500 miles from the finish, the sailing conditions are hard and particularly frustrating for both the sailors and their machines after nearly 4 months alone at sea. The headseas are heavy and breaking and the wind is refusing to cooperate, preventing a direct course to the Vendée. Their already low true speeds to the goal have fallen dramatically, Benoit Parnaudeau making 2.3 knots over the past 24 hours.

The next competitor expected into Les Sables d¹Olonne, Benoit Parnaudeau from La Rochelle, has tacked onto port tack and is trying to make a direct course to the finish in an easing N’ly. This air flow should back progressively during the day to the NW, giving Max Havelaar-Best Western a more favourable heading to make Les Sables d’Olonne. Benoit will have to go at full tilt to make the most of the conditions before the wind builds and veers back round to the N on Wednesday night. Benoit’s ETA remains fixed at Thursday afternoon. Anne Liardet (Roxy) will today be done with the strong wind from the NE that has been jostling Benoit. The residual seas remain big with a 4 to 5 metre swell from Ireland. Anne is progressing along off Lisbon without closing too much on the wind so as to preserve her boat from the seas.

At the latitude of the Canaries, Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Verandas) is being pushed by a very unstable SW’ly wind. The game plan today consists of rounding to the East of a new depression which is heading across his path.

Karen Leibovici (Benefic) is still likely to have to negotiate the transition zone with unstable winds both in strength and direction. From this evening though she should begin to feel the effects of a NW’ly wind generated by the depression developing over Raphaël Dinelli.
Translation Kate Jennings

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