After three days at a truly relentless pace, devouring miles at near record speeds – 520, 530, 550 miles in a seemingly single bite, the top leaders of the Vendée Globe fleet continue to live life on the edge of the depression while at the same time their pursuers are dropping off the back of the system, as was expected. And so the expectation is that the leaders will continue to multiply their margins. Behind them cracks become gaps become chasms.
The gap is already growing notably after the top nine and that will become more pronounced between now and the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope late on Friday. Those behind who are dropped off the back will need to wait for the next low pressure train, but meantime race leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and his closest rivals will continue to race in sustained winds before gybing south to work the Antarctic Exclusion Zone.
The Vendée Globe Race Directors have decided to drop the AEZ south by almost 100 miles – at least to the Crozet archipelago. This will allow them to sail a shorter route, at the same time being able to better exploit the depressions which are running further to the south,
Dalin and the lead posse have been sailing 500 miles in each 24-hour increment living life at a hellish pace.
“It’s tough mentally and at the same time it pushes you to keep up the pace”, commented Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) in fourth. “The depression that we are on seems to be reducing. Some will not manage to stay on its back while on our side, we will find ourselves right in it!”, detailed Simon who is anticipating another tough, fast night of life on the edge.
@VendeeGlobe
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