There is a distinct lack of festive cheer for the Vendee Globe fleet. Only the chasing pack, Armel Le Cleac'h and Vincent Riou are being given just what they want, strong favourable winds at the moment.
The leaders will once again be slowed by contrary breezes forcing them to fight north to the New Zealand gate while Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) and Vincent Riou (PRB) are the only skippers to be feeling some festive cheer, given a temporary boost: the favourable SW'ly winds for them in excess of 30 knots enables the Vendée Globe title holder Riou to be the fastest this evening covering 400 miles in 24 hours. However, the strong winds will die away after the front goes over. The only really lucky one is Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2), as he has avoided getting stuck in the high stretching from
But the low pressure systems are being generously distributed this Christmas Eve. One low is lining up for SamDavies (Roxy) and Marc Guillemot (Safran), who will suffer N to NE'ly winds. Another low for Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) who has just faced an epic battle to lower his mainsail with jamming halyards in more than 50 knots of wind, Dee Caffari (Aviva) – who reported favourable conditions today - and Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas)…
And yet another for Steve White (Toe in the water), who is likely to be experience the worst conditions, already reporting this afternoon that he has a broken gooseneck pin. He plans to wait until the winds subside before attempting any kind of repair.
One more low too for Raphaël Dinelli (Fondation Océan Vital) and Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch).
Some have opened their Christmas presents in advance taking advantage before things worsen again.
British skipper Dee Caffari reported too that her confidence is back on the rise again after a difficult 48 hours where she felt out of step with the severe conditions, temporarily unable to decide what the weather was going to do next. But since then she has consolidated, sailed conservatively and her mood was on the up this morning.
Meanwhile both Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) and Jonny Malbon GBR, (Artemis II) have been having a torrid time too. Thompson’s confidence was just growing in the repairs which he has been making to Bahrain Team Pindar when the next depression has brought him 50-55 knots winds. In a bid to reduce the loads on the pilots and the steering, he has reduced sail considerably, but has just had an epic battle to get his mainsail down, while Jonny Malbon today described the sea and wind conditions for his Christmas Eve as horrid, heinous and dreadful.
