Vendée Globe: Looking for trade winds

(November 14, 2024; Day 5) – After successive leaders Charlie Dalin, Sam Goodchild, and Yoann Richomme, the Vendée Globe solo non-stop race around the world has another new leader in Nicolas Lunven (HOLCIM PRB).

As the lead group passes the latitude of the Canary Islands, where they might normally find the trade winds blowing to carry them down towards the Cape Verdes and the Equator beyond, the breeze is lightening and becoming ever more unsettled. The race now spans a full 400 miles back to China’s JingKun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) in 40th place.

Up front the intensity is that of a Figaro solo offshore championship race. Little surprise then that Lunven and Richomme, both double winners of the French multi stage solo one design race, are doing so well. But for race favorite Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prevoyance), he was feeling out of phase with the pack: “I had a whole catalogue of bad maneuvers and wrong choices. I was stopped in front of the island. I was unlucky, it was very frustrating.”

Briton Sam Goodchil, in the lead peloton, had to change out a pilot after another malfunction and so is on his back-up. “The weather going ahead is not straightforward, getting to the Canaries you think you would be looking at trade winds but they are not very stable and so trying to get south is not as clear as you’d hope.”

For the leaders, the wind will continue to drop away. That should benefit the rest of the fleet, some of whom are still dealing with lively conditions. “We recorded an average of 30 knots and peaks of 40 knots for Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) who is bringing up the rear,” said Basile Rochut, Vendée Globe weather consultant.

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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 started 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 24,300 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.

Source: VG2024