Roland Jourdain’s steady advance continues, now amounting to 80 miles in the last 24 hours, and this evening he is still over two knots quicker than Michel Desjoyeaux. But the leader for 28 straight days has still not got too much to fret about, holding more than 26 miles of advance over Bilou and safe in the knowledge he should breath easy in the trade winds first.
Armel Le Cléac’h has slowed in a wind hole, making just 2.9 knots as he struggles to break free, undoing some of his gains of the last 36 hours.
Fastest this evening is Brian Thompson, making 13.6 knots closing east towards the Chilean coast. With 350 miles to
There is now just one skipper left in this race who completed the last Vendée Globe. Experience from the last race seems to amount to nothing in the face of fate, bad luck or unfortunate timing this time around.
Riou, Dick, Golding, Le Cam, Josse, Thomson, Wavre are among the 18 abandoned, only Raphael Dinelli, who has started all four races since 1996 and finished 12th in 2004 is still in this race with the former Akena which was launched in 1996.
Olonne sur Mer’s Dinelli prepared Titouan Lamazou’s boat for the first Vendée Globe but came to world attention in 1996 when he survived more than 36 hours clinging to the upturned Algimouss to be rescued by Briton Pete Goss.
Dinelli lost his sponsor just before the start of the 2000 race. He started nevertheless but hit a whale and damaged his boat, limping round to complete his solo circumnavigation. In 1998,he built his own eco-friendly house and since then has been committed to green causes. In the 2004 Vendée Globe, he tested solar panels and only used 60 litres of fuel in four months of sailing. In 2007 he created Fondation Océan Vital, and works as Head of research. It brings together firms, researchers and all those interested in creating sustainable development solutions and renewable energy sources.
