Following this afternoon’s shock news that Jean Pierre Dick has rudder damage it seems inevitable that the morning will bring a new leader to the Vendee Globe which would be the 25th lead change since the start.
But while speeds are on the rise among most of that top group – Paprec-Virbac 2 excepted – they are in for tough conditions tonight as the low pressure hits the with winds to 40 knots. This has come up rom behind which explains some of the gains made by the chasing pack.
But the question is who will be the new leader? In these conditions, given the recent attrition, and the fact we are not yet even at the half way point, then preservation will surely start to take more of a precedent.
Indeed Mike Golding who some would consider as the anointed successor to JP, chasing just 34 miles behind now, looks like the likely candidate but he is running deeper and going slightly slower than the next four boats –Veolia Environnment, Foncia, BT – who has gained 100 miles in about 36 hours – and VM Materiaux. Indeed Jean Le Cam, soft toys locked somewhere safe, has been the quickest making 20 knots.
The official abandonments of both Loïck Peyron and Bernard Stamm were received this afternoon by Race HQ in
