The first of the two depressions are sweeping over the Bay of Biscay passing to north of L'Occitane in Provence and so Armel Tripon slowed safely along the Iberian coast to avoid the winds of over 50 knots and rough seas. In these conditions, landing in Les Sables-d'Olonne is not easy, the continental shelf lifting the sea and transforming the formidable approach.
This morning, at Cape Finisterre, Tripon has winds of 33-35 knots with gusts of 38-40, not easy but manageable.
A’second depression is coming in to with very big seas ahead of it, arriving on the Vendée coast at the same time as Tripon so it will be a complicated finish.
At the Azores yesterday, Clarisse Crémer is keeping a very eastern route staying clear of the the monster Atlantic low. A long way from the IMOCA fleet where winds and currents meet there are waves of 10 to 20 metres.
The rest of the fleet is advancing in more typical high pressure conditions, or the trade winds which are not really established. And so progress is neither fast nor comfortable.
Eight boats in 24 hours, 10 in 35.... Sorel Brings V and B Mayenne Home in 10th.... Tripon Waits For Storm to Pass
Bringing the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe to an incredible crescendo eight competitors arrived back in Les Sables d’Olonne within 23 hours and 44 minutes.
With a record entry of 33 boats and an atypical sequence of weather systems which meant the top 10 or 12 boats regrouped and re-started on three main occasions, the race went down to the wire with five boats pitching for the podium places at 36 hours from the finish.
Maxime Sorel, V and B Mayenne 10th in the Vendée Globe
This Saturday 30th January, at 03 hours, 50 minutes, 15 seconds (UTC), Maxime Sorel crossed the finish line off Les Sables d'Olonne after 82 days, 14 hours, 30 minutes and 15 seconds at the end of this Vendée Globe. He finished 2 days, 10 h, 45 min after the winner, Yannick Bestaven.
Le Cam’s Late Night Edition, Dutreux’s Local Hero Welcome, Seguin Thanks Le Cam
It was past the witching hour in his packed Vendée Globe press conference when Jean Le Cam shared his own views about the remarkable race fought between – ‘this old bloke’ – by Damien Seguin - the Paralympic champion born without a left hand - and by Benjamin Dutreux, the young Vendée dude. The simple, no frills message mirrored thar of their respective boats.
