Archive: Final Act - Vendée Globe

Final Act

News

March 11, 2005

Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Verandas) is expected into Les Sables d’Olonne
tomorrow. He will take 12th place in the Vendée Globe after 125 days at
sea. Karen Leibovici (Benefic) looks set to finish on Sunday, the 13th
of the 20 candidates that originally set out on this round the world on
7 November 2004. With today’s arrival, outside the rankings, of Patrice
Carpentier (VM Matériaux) at 1450 GMT, the final curtain of this 5th
Vendée Globe is likely to fall this weekend after 126 days of intense
competition.

The odds seem to have been stacked against Raphaël
Dinelli since he entered into the Bay of Biscay but finally he looks
set to make the pontoons of Port Olonna in the Vendée this weekend. The
elements have really been ganging up on him with a vast tongue of high
pressure extended out from Ireland down to the Spanish coast. To cross
the zone, Dinelli has had to make countless tacks against a
particularly shifty E’ly wind. The last few hours will be laborious as
calms reign at the centre of the ridge. Raphaël is just having to grin
and bear it as he holds out for the N’ly air flow expected tonight that
will propel him as far as the finish.

The catastrophic scenario
to which Raphaël has been witness, should collapse away with the ridge
of high pressure, leaving the path clear for Benefic. Karen Leibovici,
less than 300 miles from Les Sables d’Olonne, will be able to extend up
to the NE towards the tip of Brittany as she waits for the wind shift.
The seas have finally calmed along with the wind. Karen is also having
to be patient as behind this zone of calms there is a favourable N’ly
air flow which may well provide her with a last descent to the finish
on port tack. Karen’s ETA for Sunday afternoon is still on the cards.

Translation Kate Jennings