The crazy battle of the Atlantic continues at the forefront of the Vendée Globe and has just experienced a new turnaround.
As the leaders prepare to enter the dreaded Doldrums by crossing the equator in the coming hours, Louis Burton has taken control of the standings.
At the 6:00 p.m. check-in this Saturday, the skipper from Saint-Malo dropped off Charlie Dalin (Apivia), handicapped by an out-of-service port foil, for three short miles at the helm of Bureau Vallée 2. Boris Hermann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) is a little further, 49.55 miles but the German has an asset in his pocket: his compensation of six hours granted after having diverted to go in search of Kevin Escoffier.
A wild card that even makes him the virtual leader.
Close to being abandoned less than a month ago
But to hope to win at Les Sables d'Olonne, the man who welcomed Greta Thunberg aboard Malizia Ii to take her across the Atlantic without taking a plane in 2019, will have to keep up with the pace imposed by Burton launched in a incredible second part of a world tour.
Victim of two damage to the main rail and its hook system, it was forced to stop on December 21 in a bay of the small island of Macquarie located in the south of New Zealand to repair.
A break that had pushed him back more than 1000 miles from the lead and ejected from the top 10.
Set off like a bullet in the assault on the Pacific, he had dropped off one by one all the sailors preceding him in the standings to become the strongman of this completely crazy end of the race since four men are now standing in less than 100 miles in front. after 69 days at sea.
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Storming the Doldrums
Close to retirement before Christmas, Burton can now dream of winning the Grail while he confided a few days ago to
Le Figaro
that this edition was already a success for him, whatever the outcome in the standings.
“I hope this Vendée Globe will go well to the end, it's already won for me no matter what.
It's a great moment to be there… ”, slipped the skipper of the winning boat of the previous edition.
His nerves, like those of his pursuers, will be put to the test in the coming hours with the crossing of the Doldrums.
The tactical battle to extricate oneself from the intertropical convergence zone has only just begun.
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