Leader Yannick Bestaven will celebrate Christmas, his 48th birthday on December 28th and then New Year one after the other. Right now there is a chance he could add substantially to his lead, which is back over 100 miles again this Wednesday morning, which would give him added reason to celebrate each occasion at sea for the first time.
"Right now I have 13 knots of wind and flat seas, I am sliding along under spinnaker, it's 16 ° in the boat, I'm thinking about getting out my swimming trunks. I have everything open, the air is dry, the sun is heating up behind my back because I'm heading East, it's great, it feels good to get things dry. I took a few good naps of between one and a half to two hours I'm in great shape, I feel like I left yesterday.
My course looks like the Aravis mountain range (in French Savoie region)! I gybed a lot to stay in this lane as long as possible. I've been slipping along under the high pressure to get along here on this gybe for a few hours to get east, pass this ridge and come back north. "
"I'm not out of the ridge yet, there are still some tough hours ahead, but being the most easterly is not bad compared to Charlie (Dalin) and Thomas now who is further north. Thomas is moving well he has not stopped but Charlie is slower. It is squeaky bum time. I don't touch anything, the sheets are cleated, the spinnaker is set and we are rolling on!
We will have to be north of this high at some point and so the boats getting to my north are more worrying than those to my west. I still think if I stop they should stop too, there is no reason to think otherwise. This high is our Christmas present, I hope that we will be out of it for Christmas Eve!
This will last until the end of the week, after that we will hit an easterly, a headwind, that's the thing on this Vendée Globe 2020 in the Pacific, after the calm, we will go upwind! "
Of course this is a crucial moment, because if I don't stop, I can go far and get away. On the other hand, if we stop, it will be a new re-start. The end of this week will be interesting to follow. May the best one win, the die is cast! I prefer not to think about my lead, the weather files are very random in the high pressures here, but it is sure that if I pass the high it looks like it will be a nice jackpot! After that how much would it be? If I can consolidate my lead at all that will be a nice Christmas and birthday present! (28th December) "
"I don't have Christmas decorations, I forgot to bring a tree! I'll leave the front hatch open in case Santa comes by! I do have some cool stuff I know, I think there will be little jokes to celebrate Christmas. It's new to me to celebrate at sea, it's the first time! I'm going to celebrate Christmas, my birthday and December 31 at sea all one after the other for the very first time. I am happy to be thinking of having parties at sea! "