In the 6 hour standings this Friday, Alex Thomson was still leading the Vendée Globe fleet.
South of the Azores, the Welshman, who was spinning at 18 knots on Hugo Boss, almost tripled his lead over his provisional runner-up Jean Le Cam and his classic daggerboard boat (Yes We Cam) at 31 miles.
2nd in the last edition, Thomson had given Armel Le Cléac'h a hard time to the end despite a broken foil as soon as he descended the Atlantic.
For his 5th Vendée Globe, he had a revolutionary monohull with a fully enclosed cockpit built just behind the mast.
Three other latest generation foil boats are also in the game: Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut), 3rd at 41 miles, Charlie Dalin 4th at 65 miles followed by Nicolas Troussel, 5th on Corum L'Epargne (+69 miles).
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“It's going well, we're going pretty fast, we're between 18 and 25 knots in the peaks, we're getting ready to have stronger wind so we'll have to reduce the canvas at some point.
For the moment, we have 20/25 knots, the boat is going fast and the sea is not too rough, it is rather pleasant ”, confided the double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro (2006, 2008) to the morning vacation.
Author of a very good start to the race on a proven boat (Banque Populaire X), Clarisse Crémer (15th) fears the tropical front which will affect the fleet in the coming hours.
“I'm scared, what am I saying, I'm freaking out seriously, at the approach of the approaching depression and I have therefore been thinking for some time about the strategy to adopt.
I have not yet experienced severe damage but I have had my share of very annoying and sometimes energy-consuming little shits (at least in stress caused for the rookie that I am) and I feel that each strong gust of wind jeopardizes the health of the boat a little, ”wrote the sailor last night, betrayed by her port hydrogenerator, torn from its support.
"I put on the top of the basket a mystery card:" do not pass get smashed ""
Clarisse Creamer
“I would like to spare my mount (and my nerves) and I am trying to slow down a bit and go west at the same time (often we do one or the other, I am embarking on both ambitions).
I'm ready to go visit the Atlantic a little longer as long as Theta leaves me alone, she adds.
It's all funny when you have the competitive spirit to make an edge a little upside down on the track as I am doing, to put the race aside (...) Friend routers and seasoned meteorologists, you You will be able to read between the lines of this message that you have to be lenient on the analysis of my trajectory, I put on the top of the basket a mystery card: "do not pass get smashed" ".
The rookie is already fully forgiven.
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