Six sailors in less than 160 miles, eleven only this Saturday morning between the first, Charlie Dalin (Apivia), and the second Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée2) ... The 9th edition of the Vendée Globe offers us a breathtaking final then that the leading peloton, which will soon cross the Azores, is expected in Les Sables d'Olonne from next Wednesday.
Burton's western escape from the equator ended in the turn towards Europe and the Malouin trajectory converges towards that of Dalin and their pursuers (Boris Herrmann +90, Thomas Rettant +121, Yannick Bestaven +159 and Damien Seguin +159) with the prospect, for Bureau Vallée 2, of regaining power before the final sprint.
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Despite the fatigue and the stress, the tactical sense of the leaders will have to remain sharp in order to make the most of the south-westerly flow which will push them as far as the Bay of Biscay.
On land, preparations for the party will already be in full swing.
Without flonflon or party favors.
Because unsurprisingly given the health context, the closed door was decreed in Les Sables d'Olonne for arrivals.
As for the start, the quays of the famous channel will therefore be deserted.
Only the many mobilized police forces and the Sablais with window and balcony overlooking the nautical corridor will escort the sailors.
The mayor of the Vendée city accuses the blow.
"Our prefect does not trust local elected officials to manage the Vendée Globe arrivals in a reasonable and responsible manner"
Yannick Moreau, Mayor of Sables d'Olonne
"Our prefect (Benoît Brocart, editor's note) is like the President of the Republic and the Government of which he is the servant, he does not trust the local elected representatives to manage in a reasonable and responsible manner the arrivals of the Vendée Globe", regrets Yannick Moreau in a press release, denouncing "a choice of government communication."
“This is not a pragmatic choice because the State will not have the means to implement it for all the Vendée Globe arrivals.
Fortunately, moreover, because each arrival would paralyze part of the city, ”ironically the city councilor.
"Two-speed arrivals"
“The Prefect and the Government are in the process of organizing two-speed Vendée Globe arrivals.
The fastest of the skippers will not have the chance to be greeted by the Sablais along the channel due to a strict closed door, while the following will probably not benefit from the same unfavorable treatment ”, continues the mayor of Sables d'Olonne who regrets that "none of our proposals for a strictly controlled gauge limited to local residents has been taken into consideration."
If he asks his constituents to respect the instructions, Yannick Moreau “obviously does not understand and does not share the final decision of the Prefect of the Vendée.
The culture of seafarers is to welcome returning sailors from the open sea.
The culture of the Sablais and the Vendeans is to welcome the Vendée Globe skippers ”.
Who would have deserved it ...
It's so sad # YesWeCAM # VG2020pic.twitter.com / rwio8iKvfc
- Jean Le Cam (@JeanLecam) January 22, 2021
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