Vendee Globe 2024, Brits

[John_Silver]

Sail repair held up well overnight (“tiens….tiens….tiens”). Two and a half days, to the finish, Sam G reckons:

Whole lotta tacking to do (as @Buck Turgidson predicted). Advantage JuJu & Thomas, to the west? By dint of a straighter routing to Cabo Finisterre?


Tenth placed Benji, 500+nm astern.

 

[John_Silver]

(Another) astute routing call, from JuJu. By the look of things:

 

[John_Silver]

Weather and Rankings with Pip. Insights galore!

With an update on this year's plan. Plus thoughts on cross fleet competitivity. (After Kojiro's report)

 

[John_Silver]

Sam G, answers questions from Helen Fretter....... What happened? ......How did you fix it?.........What's the plan?

 

[John_Silver]

Bleak midwinter, on the Les Sables webcam. Switch on notification, for live coverage of Jeremie & Paul in the canal, here

 

[John_Silver]

Sam D planning to throttle back. To come in behind the (next) low. Includes footage of the Les Sables entrance in a Biscay gale.

 

[John_Silver]

Big seas, for Sam G. Close in under Cabo Finisterre

 

[John_Silver]

A frustrated Sam D expects to be 'parked up,' between Madeira and the Acores, for three days. To allow the big Biscay blow go through, ahead of her. "Comme un bon marin."

 

[John_Silver]

Sam G, looking forward to arriving tomorrow. “If everything goes to plan.”

Canal opens around midday.

 

[John_Silver]

Nico in (6th). Sam G, JuJu & Thomas into the '30 minute update' zone, on the tracker.

 

[John_Silver]

Thomas across the line (7th). JuJu expected midday(ish). Squally breeze forecast to fill in, from the west, for Sam G.

 

[John_Silver]

Light airs persist, for JuJu & Sam G, off the Les Sables finish line. As limp flags (and the remnants of his J2) testify, aboard Thomas Ruyant's Vulnerable.

 

[matt1]

Sat glued to my laptop having to constantly refresh the tracker to see the close finish between Sam and Justine. The “live” video link is just some inane music. C’mon Vendeeglobe, you can do better than this! These folks have sailed round the world! The fans want to watch…send a camera out there on a rib!

 

[John_Silver]

Sam G's in!

Live back....errr...live @matt1

JuJu in the canal now. Her 2018 VPLP just pipping Sam G's 2019 Verdier to the post, for the title of 'first old gen design home' ........Although, Christopher Pratt mentioned, on one of Andi's 'Lives,' that Paul Meilhat's Biotherm came out of the same mould as Sam G's Vulnerable. Albeit Paul's boat was modified with a new gen bow........



EDIT: Turns out (from Andi & Alan's commentary), JuJu's approach was slowed, not only by light winds, but because her mainsail split overnight. No time to fix it. Came in triple reefed.

 

[John_Silver]

Sam G: Top Ten finish (9th), in the most competitive Vendee Globe ever. After a race well run: Lead the fleet over the equator; sailed to his boat's capabilities, in the south; pulled back places, in the ascent of the Atlantic; took his mainsail setback in his stride; communicative and positive throughout. Flying the flag, in all senses…….

 

[John_Silver]

Battle on for tenth: Clarisse, in potentially the faster boat (Charlie’s 2020 VG Apivia) v’s Benji Dutreux (in Alex Thomson’s 2016 VG Hugo Boss).

Looks like a split in tactics, for Cabo Finisterre. Outside (the exclusion zone) for Clarisse. Inside for Benji. With ‘the low’ on their tails.



Sam D & Boris, in a ‘holding pattern,’ off the Acores, until ‘the low’ passes.

 

[John_Silver]

Sam G’s post-race press conference

 

[John_Silver]

Breaking seas visible, on the Les Sables pier heads, when the beach webcam pans right. It's going to be 'lively' for Benji (110nm out) and Clarisse (175nm out), later today. No place to be hanging around, if there is insufficient depth in the canal. High water around 14.00 UTC. At least it’s still neaps, so the window is as wide as it can be…..(LW 2m, nominal dredged depth 2m, IMOCA draft 4.5m, swell height??)

 

[John_Silver]

TV Vendee carrying Benji's arrival from 15.00 UTC. Click for notification, of transmission start, here. Looks like Andi & Alan's Live may be 'cancelled due to conditions.'

Benji set to arrive with sufficient water, in the canal, to come straight in.

Clarisse making 8-11kts, on the tracker. Either slowed by a problem. Or, hopefully, throttled back, so as to arrive for the overnight high water (HW 02.00 UTC.)

 

[John_Silver]

15.00 UTC: TV Vendee is saying that Benji will not attempt to enter Les Sables, "en raison des conditions meteo extremes." He will cross the line and make for La Rochelle. (Which is in the Charente-Maritime v's the Vendee departement......desperate times!)

No word on Clarisse, who remains slowed, as if standing off.