28.11.2008
So far and yet so near
It’s tight, very tight… It’s hard to draw any other conclusion about the
state of the Vendée Globe 2008-2009 fleet on this 19th day of racing, which
has managed to bunch together some of the fiercest contenders in a long
stampede at the front of the fleet. Loïck Peyron hasn’t made good his escape
as yet and has switched from hunter to hunted and back to hunter again at
the mercy of the ranking. Currently in the wake and in sight of Sébastien
Josse, the skipper of the monohull equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild
is still in the clutches of a capricious zone and is putting duty before
everything else in the negotiation of Saint Helena. He will have to choose
between a route taking him as close as possible to the zone of high
pressure, on the edge of the precipice, or a more prudent but much longer
option. And though this is a particularly interesting situation for the
racing car enthusiast from La Baule, it may well prove decisive for the next
stage in the race and the entry into the south. It’s a true Hitchcock
scenario and the observers are relishing it…
Your turn, my turn, your turn, my turn! After conceding the leadership of
the fleet at the 1600 hour ranking yesterday to Sébastien Josse, the skipper
of Gitana Eighty snatched back pole position overnight, prior to having it
chipped away from him again by the skipper of the British monohull. However,
beyond the waltz for the top spot, you have to watch the entire dance floor
to realise that it’s no longer a two-step in action in the southern
Atlantic, but rather a collective boogie. In fact 9 competitors are within
46 miles of each other, which surely must be a first at this stage in the
Vendée Globe; proof if need be that the sixth edition of the event is still
more reminiscent of a regatta race rather than a marathon. The frontrunners
can almost smell the meals being prepared in their rivals’ mini galleys,
each of them logically watching each others moves. Loïck Peyron, in
particularly fine fettle this Friday, looks back at the encounters he had
early this morning: “After losing time under the famous cloud yesterday,
I’ve really got back into the thick of the action. In fact I’ve just been
speaking with Seb (Sébastien Josse) and I can see Armel (Armel Le Cléac’h,
3rd on Brit Air). It’s quite nice to be sailing within sight of everyone”.
There’s no question of making good his escape right now, the monohull in the
colours of the LCF Rothschild Group being not only surrounded but also, and
above all, subject to the same scenario as the competition: “Our monohulls
being fairly similar in terms of performance, it’s rare to be able to
escape. Having said that it’s true that since the start, there have been two
or three tricky passages which have favoured those behind. The opposite
would be most welcome right now so we can benefit too!”
However, before they can take off again, they will have to find a great
strategy to get out of the current weather situation. The Saint Helena High
is still continuing to lay down the law and is keeping the solo sailors in
suspense, even though most of the fleet have chosen their exit routes now.
Leading the way, the top trio, of which Gitana Eighty forms part, is picking
its way due south, whilst those behind and further to the west, Jean-Pierre
Dick and the Englishman Mike Golding have shifted back over in the past few
hours to remain in contact. Positioned over to the east, out on his own,
Jean Le Cam has opted to be the first to traverse the zone of high pressure
and he is also hoping to be the first out. Questioned about the various
strategies, the skipper of the monohull equipped by Baron Benjamin de
Rothschild was pertinent in his analysis: “We’re currently faced with a kind
of gamble which is making all of us aim for a zone where there isn’t any
wind for the time being. The onus here is on not distancing ourselves too
far from the direct route and on finding the right point to make the long
turn. The inside bend is full of gravel and the outside edge is clear but
increases the distance to be travelled. It’ll be interesting to see who gets
out first!”
It’ll be a while yet before they reach the exit, with the forecasters
currently banking on Sunday. In the meantime, the end of today should see a
strengthening E’ly breeze, forcing the solo sailors to be opportunist at all
times. Numerous manœuvres and sail changes will also be the order of the day
in this upwind navigation. At the heart of the zone of high pressure though,
the wind will drop dramatically and the skippers will have to carve out
their own route to ‘deliverance’: “The end of this day will be a bit
difficult with wind forecast. We’ll have to reduce the sail area and then
rehoist it all tomorrow. We’ll certainly be close to the eye of the
anticyclone at that point, and not far at all from the tear ducts…”, said
Loïck Peyron during today’s radio session. There will doubtless be some
tears for some and given the risk of further bunching across the fleet,
they’ll certainly be able to hear each other crying. The suspense continues…
Ranking on 28th November – 1600 hours (French time)
1. BT (Sébastien Josse) 19,626 miles from the finish
2. Gitana Eighty (Loïck Peyron) 6.4 miles back
3. Brit Air (Armel Le Cléac’h) 14 miles
4. VM Matériaux (Jean Le Cam) 14.6 miles
5. Veolia Environnement (Roland Jourdain) 22.7 miles
(…)
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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