Vendée Globe

The skippers might compare the current weather conditions to a game of chance or Russian Roulette, but Seb Josse’s manoeuvres at the front of the fleet seem more akin to a game of chess.

Yesterday evening the BT skipper wrestled the lead off the masterful Loïck Peyron, only for Peyron to inch ahead in this morning’s rankings. But it looks like Josse has learnt a few tricks from the grand master himself, as today’s tactics saw Josse head first from the east of the pack towards the south-west, staying in the best of the breeze, then tack back to position himself at the front of the fleet, pulling directly ahead of Peyron and third-placed Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air).

This close-quarters manoeuvres led some skippers to say, “It's like racing in Quiberon Bay” today — after 19 days and almost 5,000 miles of sailing they are still neck and neck, to be expected during a coastal race maybe, but not an ocean marathon. The leaders have regrouped with Mike Golding (GBR) now just 20 miles west of the main group, and the leading nine remain within 50 miles as they dive dead south — all except Jean Le Cam, currently showing fourth in this evening’s rankings, who has taken a more radical south-easterly course of 117 degrees. Whether this is a brief response to a squall, or a strategy to head straight for the Cape of Good Hope — currently some 1,600 miles away, we can only wait and see…

Behind the front-runners the game appears simpler — climb as many miles on the boats in front as possible, with Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) and Dee Caffari (Aviva, GBR) both gaining over 60 miles from yesterday, and Jonny Malbon (Artemis, GBR) taking over 100 miles out of the front runners’ lead. But the boat that’s clocked up the most miles since the last position report (at 1000hrs GMT)? Steve White (GBR) in the venerable Toe in the Water, who is also showing the current fastest VMG (position update at 1500hrs GMT).

Bringing up the rear of the fleet, Jean-Baptiste Dejanty — who restarted from Les Sables d’Olonne after a week of repairs — crossed the Equator this morning, putting all 25 racing skippers in the southern hemisphere.


From this morning’s radio broadcasts:

1st- Sébastien Josse, BT: It’s quite nice [to be in front], but it’s really close with Loick Peyron, with just a few miles between first position and fifth, there’s not a big gap. We have caught a good breeze which we’ll have for 10-12 hours and then we start to manage to cross the St Helena. Maybe we’ll see the westerlies around 9 o’clock in the morning. The boat’s in good shape, and I’m having a really good time with her!

2nd — Loïck Peyron, Gitana 80: Under a huge cloud that he couldn't avoid, got stuck yesterday. Similar speed and similar conditions for leading group, 15 knots of wind and 10 knots of boat speed. This afternoon and tonight will be complicated. Tomorrow calms in high ahead. Russian roulette, as mystery what lies ahead. Loïck says Jean Le Cam gambling that the high will move eastwards, but no one can be sure.

9th- Mike Golding, Ecover (GBR): It was difficult to know how to tackle it last night because for a long time I was not actually making any VMG, so I ended up having to tack. I think everyone’s playing that game but it’s very tricky conditions. Big shifts and big variation in wind speed, so I just had to muscle through with big sail plans and ballast. I had to tack just to reposition to find the thinnest part of the ridge, and so I’m in the right place now. There’s not much difference side to side, I’d say.
In the last Vendée I was 800 miles behind at this point and still caught up so pretty much everyone has a fighting change of getting back in with the leaders. It’s good, exactly what we expected this Vendée to produce, very close tight racing.

18th- Jonny Malbon, Artemis (GBR): We’re hacking along quite nicely and looking forward to today to try and get some more miles back. Yesterday I spent a lot of time playing with the traveler and ballast and all sorts of different things and got into a groove, which was great for me because I could get some rest and the boat was absolutely loving it, so it’s been a pretty positive 24 hours.
But I’m under no illusions, it’s the old elastic band scenario, they’ve pulled out an incredible lead. There is a chance I can make a few miles up, but I’m not going to count any chickens just yet.
I’m going to be keeping an eagle eye on what’s happening up front, so I’m running routing solutions for the guys at the front, the middle and for me just to see what difference it is. But it looks like I’m going to be on port gybe potentially for quite a long time.

 

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