Vendée Globe Race - Day 14 - "Left, right, left" - the Route March to the Southern Ocean ends

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 23 Nov 2024 21:10 PST 24 November 2024

Charlie Dalin - All aboard the Sunday Express to the Big South - November 24, 2024 © Charlie Dalin - MACIF

The leading competitors have began to initiate their responses to fast changing weather patterns in the South Atlantic. This phase of the race is a staging point for dodging or clutching at the swings and roundabouts of the Southern Ocean weather systems.

However in a subsequent position updates some of the fleet, following Dalin have turned left by 10 degrees or so.

Charlie Dalin in MACIF still holds the lead, Thomas Ruyant is second and Sam Goodchild is third - so in terms of the race little has changed - and all have just marched south at a 24hour VMG of 20kts plus, and reeling off 24 hr runs of 490nm and Dalin has ripped out a 523nm daily run.

It's all about to change as the solo-racers negotiate a route across the South Atlantic, the sailors have to walk a tighrope between the high pressure systems to the east and low pressure cells and fronts to the west, while still reaching and then get on the back of the strong winds Or, they have to stay ahead of it while it builds into a very nasty storm, before easing somewhat as they enter the Southern Ocean.

We have shifted the virtual mark further towards the Kerguelen Islands to test the weather options with the boats line up to sail a more typical Southern Ocean course. From past experience they will hug the Ice Gate which will see them sail the shortest possible distance to make Cape horn.

The sailors onboard weather routing systems will be treading the fine line between taking advantage of the safety of the light winds, while skimming along the edge of the fronts to keep up speed. It becomes a Velocity Made Good game as the sailors try and pick a route which will get them to the Ice Gate, where they have to turn to port and head through to the Kerguelen Islands.

Proportionately, the women sailors in the 39 boat fleet are outperforming the men, with all six women in the top 22 boats on the water. Leading that race within a race, is Swiss sailor Sam Davies (FRA/GBR) in 10th and Justine Mettraux (SUI) 11th, and Clarisse Cremer (FRA) 12th.

From Vendee Race Control:

Now sailing directly southeast towards the tip of South Africa Charlie Dalin is not far short of record pace this morning, hitting a consistent 25kts in the fast reaching conditions which are good for his Verdier designed boat. Dalin has opened his lead to some 60 miles now over the two VULNERABLE IMOCAs Thomas Ruyant in second and Briton Sam Goodchild who is still doing a fantastic job with his older generation boat in third.