This Wednesday evening, Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) and Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) are still racing in the lead, on the edge of a depression in the Indian Ocean.
The duo leading the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin and Sébastien Simon, were still advancing with a comfortable gap on Wednesday morning on the pursuers, who were heading further north to avoid a violent depression in the Indian Ocean. At the 7:00 p.m. check-in, Dalin is ahead of Simon by 54 nautical miles. The two men faced a violent southern storm while continuing their eastward course, while their pursuers all chose a northeasterly course, deviating from the ideal trajectory.
«I’m not alone in this mess, at least there’s Seb (Sébastien Simon) with me, it’s always good to have someone nearby», declared Charlie Dalin (Macif) on Wednesday, quoted in a press release from his team. “When I went down this road, the files were a little more optimistic. There, the last ones are a little hot. Honestly, it’s not going to be easy.», admitted the Norman sailor.
Like the third man, Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkea), 291 miles from Dalin, the pursuers have fallen slightly behind the leading duo in recent hours who were on a more direct route. At the heart of this southern storm, waves of ten meters are expected, but all the sailors have positioned themselves in recent days to avoid the brunt of the gale. The conditions are still expected to be very tough on the outskirts, particularly for the two leaders who had to position themselves slightly in front of the gust of wind to mitigate its effects.
«Physically and morally, it’s going well, I would like just a little more sleep but at the moment the sea conditions mean that it’s not easy to rest, it’s a lot of stress», Explains Justine Mettraux, who made her return to the top 10 on Tuesday.
Vendée Globe rankings Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (GMT+1):
1. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) 15,563.98 nautical miles from the finish
2. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) 54.45 miles from the first
3. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) at 291.49 mins
4. Thomas Rettant (Vulnerable) at 329.90 mins
5. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) at 490.08 nm
6. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) at 491.30 mins
7. Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) at 656.76 mins
8. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) at 694.58 mins
9. Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V) at 710.14 minutes
10. Justine Mettraux (Teamwork-Team Snef) at 1,093.48 mins
…
39. Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe) à 4,289.02 mn
Abandon: Maxime Sorel (V and B-Monbana-Mayenne)
