"Either my option pays well, or it will not bring in much, apart from having traveled more and having encountered tough conditions", summarized Yannick Bestaven on New Year's Eve.
72 hours later, the Vendée Globe leader can rub his hands.
His choice to sail "above" his competitor, Charlie Dalin, was indeed the correct one.
This Sunday morning, the skipper of Maître CoQ was 74 miles ahead of the Normand.
The gap has more than doubled in less than twelve hours (32 miles at 10:00 p.m. Saturday) and it could increase further.
Because the southerner Dalin (Apivia) had to maneuver at the time of the croissants to avoid entering the Antarctic exclusion zone (ZEA), designed by the race management to protect the skippers from the icicles and leave them at a reasonable distance from the relief.
An incursion into forbidden territory would force him to turn around to exit through where he entered under penalty of a heavy penalty.
Snuff at Cape Horn
Climbing the Pacific to rub shoulders with depression, Bestaven had treated himself to a restless Christmas.
But the one who blows his 48 candles on Monday is now sliding down a beautiful slide towards Cape Horn.
Author of a fairly similar trajectory, Thomas Rouillard (LinkedOut) has crossed the last step of the ladder and in turn begins his descent, 3rd at 325 miles from Bestaven.
It should allow him to distance himself from the group of hunters-processionaries who have skirted the ZEA (Le Cam, Herrmann, Seguin) and, why not, to come back to Dalin.
Regularly forced to slow down to spare the mounts and not extend the list of withdrawals, the leading trio may also have to stall their speed on the blow that awaits them next weekend.
Cape Horn indeed reserves a severe hazing to Bestaven & co with gusts over 60 knots and troughs of ten meters.
We must maintain the legend.
“It's a pretty amazing Vendée Globe. We have to fight !"
Alan roura
Author of a remarkable first round the world trip and regularly in the top 5 at the helm of a boat without a foil (Omia-Waterfamily), Benjamin Dutreux has temporarily downgraded to 10th place due to a problem with a sail and its trajectory.
Now positioned far to the north - like Bestaven and Rettant - the thirty-something sailor could quickly return to depression, provided that his concern is resolved.
Alan Roura, he managed to repair his keel on Saturday to continue a trying round the world.
“It's the second hose there.
I no longer have any repair equipment for that, now we have to touch wood until the finish, blown the Swiss, 15th Sunday morning.
We have a little cool week ahead, so we have to rest.
Behind it will be different, even if it is still far away.
But there, that's a lot for the guy.
When I see the head of the fleet and Damien Seguin (6th) or Benjamin Dutreux with boats of the same generation as mine, they have a wonderful race.
Right behind me there is Pip Hare (17th) with my old boat, she is 180 miles away, she hauled everyone up!
There are generations of boats, there are also the sailors who are on them.
It's a pretty amazing Vendée Globe.
We have to fight !
I hope I will succeed in fighting to the end. ”
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