The battle at the front of the Vendée fleet gets more and more interesting. Louis Burton in Bureau Vallée, who had closed to within 4 miles of Charlie Darlin’s Apivia, took the choice on Friday to gybe and head north for a while. That appears to have paid off as he is steadily closing back in on the lead, just 15 miles separating their distances from the next waypoint. Closing up too is Boris Herrmann now only 48 miles behind, and he has 6 hours of redress to apply to his finishing time. Charlie Dalin’s Apivia is making 2 knots less speed than the other two at the moment. We all just wish that Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss had been amongst this group.
So, it is not just the excitement of a very close and still unpredictable finish over the next 2-3 days, for me is the fact that in the Clipper Race Office sweepstake, (Proceeds to UNICEF) I was given, by a very dodgy selection system I thought at the time, Boris Herrmann!
Thomas Ruyant’s LinkedOut is just 89 miles from the leader, Yannick Bestaven in Maître CoQ 218 miles, Giancarlo Pedote in Prysmian Group 265, Damien Seguin in Groupe Apicil, 278, back to Jean Le Cam at 592.
The three leading boats are on a course for Northern Spain, but the next 5 boats have gybed north. The weather has not finished playing with these sailors, who must be very tired now, not just from sailing these 60 footers at speeds up to 20 knots, but the intensity of the competition. This finish is going to be a classic.
A high pressure ridge is forecast to develop to their NE and then move into the Bay of Biscay on Monday brining Easterly winds along the North Spanish coast before turning southerly on Tuesday so it is still very tactical.
Pip Hare continues her progress north with easterly winds. 1,000 miles astern Miranda Merron is heading north, but into calmer conditions in westerly winds, the South Atlantic High system between them. The two tail enders will round Cape Horn to-day, a great relief to the Race Organisers. Sam Davis is back into the Atlantic.