The last three skippers competing in the Vendée Globe are into their last days racing. Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 31st) is expected to finish on Friday. Getting closer to land he now has to be careful to keep an eye on the increasing amounts of traffic and will endure a complicated Bay of Biscay.
At the Azores, Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans-Wewise, 32nd) is preparing for a final depression which will give way to upwind conditions before finishing at the weekend. Finally, the Belgian Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group, 33rd) is doing all he can to deal with the breakage of his mainsail loop. Despite a grueling day yesterday, he continues to get there mile by mile, slowly getting closer to the finish.
Manuel Cousin, “cautious” until the line!
All things being equal Manuel Cousin should finish his second Vendée Globe on Friday, a lighter note in his voice now as he approaches his home port “It’s especially nice to find wind and speeds worthy of the IMOCA,” jokes the skipper of Coup de Pouce. Last night, he was making around twenty knots and continues to make “an almost direct route to Les Sables d’Olonne”. The sailor feels “on a mission” trying to pay attention to everything, being “on the lookout for all the little noises of the boat” which is “tired like the skipper”. Before the finish, there is no question of letting up the pressure:
“I’ve had good, sustained wind for 48 hours and it eased off during the night. It’s going to get pretty strong again in the Bay of Biscay before finishing close-hauled in moderate wind when arriving on the coast. The major difficulty is the maritime traffic, the movement of other boats, cargo ships, fishermen… It’s important to remain cautious at all times!”
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