No drama (yet) in Vendée Globe

(November 11, 2024; Day 2) – Pre-race favorite Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prevoyance) is living up to his billing as he leads the 40 boat Vendée Globe fleet towards the first big test of the skippers and their craft this evening and tonight as the racers on the solo, non-stop race round the world set up to negotiate the notorious Cape Finisterre on the NW corner of Spain.

Dalin took the lead during the first night and this afternoon had eked out a lead of 24 miles as he set the pace towards the zone where the winds are expected to gust up to 40 knots from the NE and N which will meet a confused swell coming in from the west, creating conditions which could quickly expose any weaknesses in the boats or equipment.

After a very benign start on yesterday afternoon off Les Sables d’Olonne, the skippers had very, very little time to rest as they had to keep a lookout all the time as the fleet criss-crossed back and forwads, gybing downwind as each sought to use the regular small changes in wind direction, changing direction to be pointing on the most direct, efficient course.

“As usual Charlie has been impressive. He seemed to always be on the right gybe last night and that has made the difference,” said Briton Will Harris, usual co-skipper to Boris Herrmann, speaking on the Vendée LIVE English show which is broadcast every day of the race at 1330hrs ITC.

In third place, Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) has made an excellent start to his first ever Vendée Globe, almost matching Dalin as they zig-zagged across the Bay of Biscay in the building breeze which has seen speeds rise though the afternoon. He was 27 miles behind the leader and setting up for a safe, conservative passage of the landmark cape which the leaders should pass around 2200hrs this evening.

“The winds will be strong but it should be only for a relatively short period of time,” assessed Goodchild this morning. “We have to not do anything stupid here to be sure to stay in the race. The next thing is making the choice whether to go inside our outside the TSS (the Traffic Separation Scheme which keeps boats out of the shipping lanes). Right now I have not made up my mind. I am prepared for either and will wait and see what the others do. But is all good. I am a happy Sam right now.”

Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia-Seaexplorer) has made a relatively modest start to his second Vendée Globe. He was in 26th place this afternoon at some 96 miles behind the leader Dalin who he finished second behind in this summer’s New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne Transatlantic race.

He had a small technical issue yesterday afternoon, which proved to be with an electronic ram which drives the autopilot which he had to replace it. Diagnosing the problem took longer than the replacement process.

“For me the night did not go so well,” admitted Herrmann. “I didn’t sail so well with the shifts and gusts. Every time I gybed the wind turned. I have come back a little in the fleet and am now looking for the right shift to take me down to the Spanish coast then I will change to smaller sails.”

And Briton Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) was working her way through the fleet as best she can in 34th this afternoon.

“It was a very cool first night at sea,” shared Davies. “I had a few little difficulties. I had a while when I thought I had something on my keel, it was quite frustrating. We had a lot of close gybes in the night. I had a few little siestas but it was a super night with stars and a beautiful moon.”

And so, for the first time in recent editions, at least there has been no early U-turns, no unlucky skipper first to return back to Les Sables d’Olonne in the very first hours of their Vendée Globe, as befell the likes of Fabrice Amedeo on the last race, suffering a halyard sheave problem, Didac Costa’s electrical fire in 2016, similar to Marc Guillemot in 2012 and Michel Desjoyaux in 2008.

But tonight and tomorrow morning is the first ‘monster under the bed’ as Britain’s Pip Hare calls it. “It is the first real sporting challenge of the course,” said Basile Rochut, weather consultant on the Vendée Globe.

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The Vendée Globe, raced in the 60-foot IMOCA, is the elite race round the world, solo, non-stop, and without assistance. On November 10, 40 skippers start the 2024-25 edition which begins and ends in Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Armel Le Cléac’h, winning in 2017, holds the record for the 24300 nm course of 74 days 03 hours 35 minutes 46 seconds. Only one sailor has won it twice: Michel Desjoyeaux in 2001 and 2009. This is tenth running of the race.