Now less than 24 hours from the finish line of her Vendee Globe Alexia Barrier says her back pain is very slightly better but she is not going to let it mar her arrival, when the breakfast menu will be champagne and pizza....
The boat is tapping less. When I was approaching Cape Finisterre there was traffic and it was slamming and it was bad for my back. It was too much. It’s not the first time that I’ve seen a fishing boat so close. Sometimes it happens to us. Once, in Figaro, I think a fisherman touched my spinnaker because I had brushed against his boat. But in IMOCA, with a 60-foot boat, I can't even imagine a collision. But it not going to happen: I'm really careful. My team sent me WhatsApp messages all night to make sure I was wide awake and not sleep.
Are you going to be able to draw a penguin before entering the Sables d'Olonne channel !?
I loved what Sam did, she is really smart! I thought about it for the penguin but I'm in too much of a hurry to go home, it will be for next time!
So when do you arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne?
There is a 90% chance that I will arrive tomorrow morning around 0800hrs (note, Alexia will be able to enter the channel until 0800hrs and then from 1430hrs due to the tide). In any case, it will be tomorrow morning. And it will be pizza for breakfast, with champagne!
The back injury?
I was offered a wheelchair for the pontoon but no thanks I think I can walk. I might have a stick. Once the arrival protocol is complete, I will go directly for my medical examination. There has been some improvement in the last few days, but it's far from good yet. I can't live without the drugs… I try to eat well when I take the drugs, I also drink a lot of water.
Alexia Barrier / TSE-4myplanet
