Vendée Globe

As Sir Robin Knox-Johnston highlighted on the eve of this 5th Vendée Globe, those that finish this ‘Everest’ of ocean racing will all be winners, whatever their ranking. Having won the first solo round the world race on a sailing boat without stopovers and without assistance in 1969, he is well placed to know. They are in fact both winners and heros if we look at the incredible way the end of this race is panning out for the two women and two men still at sea. The Atlantic and its associated weather systems have all strayed away from their normal patterns giving our 4 sailors a heady cocktail of calms and violent storms with the common denominator in this general misery being upwind conditions with the seas running against them. After 116 days at sea they are really feeling the pressure now, a fact that Benoît’s supporters are all to aware of, numerous of them coming from all around tomorrow evening to give him and his Max Havelaar Best Western the welcome they deserve.

Benoît is giving this last 250 miles his all. “I was working flat out all night” he says, “under the squalls and the real April showers, with a boat that broaches in the cold and the icy sea”. The N’ly wind has kicked back in and is set to ease off tomorrow, at the point where the skipper from La Rochelle approaches Les Sables d’Olonne. Once again the tide has its part to play in the proceedings, Benoît unable to enter into the channel to Port Olonna until 1800 GMT.

Feeling quite low yesterday, Anne Liardet (Roxy) was back on form today after escaping the capricious high pressure ridge. A good sleep under a big thick duvet, a moonlit sky and the constellation of Scorpio shining out over a calming sea giving her back the energy and enthusiasm she has had since day one. “I’m longing to get to the finish but it will still be quite emotional, as it always is when you’ve experienced something as rich as this. Just one or two more tacks and I’ll finish off with wind on the beam in the Bay of Biscay. See you on Sunday!”

Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Verandas) was almost jubilant today, despite the fatigue and the extra work on deck to control a boat bashing around in 40 knots of wind. “I had some knock downs at 50 knots and the boat was surfing along at 20 knots. Having made over 270 miles in the past 24 hours on a direct course, Raphaël has every right to be satisfied with his performance. With 1400 miles to the finish he is digging into his last box of food, proof if there was a need, that this big loop of the world is coming to an end.

The bravery award has to go to Karen Leibovici (Benefic) as she struggles to get her boat moving steadily through whirling winds which come and go in a blink. Fatigue, pain, rice and pasta cooked in sea water, there you have the menu onboard Benefic for the last 1900 miles of Karen’s Vendée Globe…
Translation Kate Jennings

Eléments associés

Previous news items :