Published on : 08/01/2021 – 15:20
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Paris (AFP)
Having entered an area of light winds, the skipper Yannick Bestaven is advancing slowly on Friday to sail off Brazil while maintaining a good lead at the head of the Vendée Globe.
Bestaven (Maître Coq IV) was advancing at midday on Friday at low speed, between 6 and 7 knots (11 to 13 km / h) when the duo of hunters made up of Charlie Dalin (Apivia) and Thomas Rettant (LinkedOut) sped at 17 knots (32 km / h).
“I’m watching what’s going on behind, the playmates will come back, my lead will decrease as the day goes on. I hope I have some left! That’s all. stake of this day and this weekend. I am a happy man but I must continue to regulate to advance well “, explained Bestaven during a session Friday with the organization.
The leader of La Rochelle is ahead of his two direct pursuers by some 400 nautical miles (around 750 km) and will try to catch stronger winds near the Brazilian coast.
“Yannick (Bestaven) is in great shape, everything is going for him! He’s going fast, he’s having an incredible Vendée Globe. He must have confidence in himself and in his important boat at the moment”, underlined Thomas Rouillard, third in the race. fleet.
“Even if we do not let go, we still need favorable weather conditions to pick up again. It is now and up to the latitude of Salvador de Bahia then after in the North Atlantic over the last week that we can hope to do something . It does not leave many windows of shooting “, warned the northerner sailor, who sticks very close to Dalin, second.
– L’exploit Pip Hare –
The tandem is ahead of a group of eight boats, also ready to do battle. The toughest is Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2), who suffered a lot of damage and who is coming back like an arrow to the head of the race. Friday at midday, he was classified fifth, less than one hundred nautical miles (185 km) from fourth Damien Seguin (Groupe Apicil).
The oldest of the race, Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!), Is in sixth position, as close as possible to Benjamin Dutreux (OMIA-Water Family), 2.5 km from each other in the virtual ranking .
The day of Friday was marked by the feat of Pip Hare (Medallia), which saw its good progress stopped by a significant damage to the rudder (crack).
The 46-year-old sailor had no other solution than to change the cracked rudder in the water, as bad weather raged.
“Every part of my body hurts. I have bloody knuckles on every finger, bruises all over my legs, and I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know existed, but YES !!!!! The new one rudder is in place and Medallia is back in the game, ”exclaimed Pip Hare.
The Englishwoman worked for an hour and a half to make the change.
“I had to beg my boat and the ocean several times, but when the new rudder bit was finally put in, I crossed the bridge screaming of joy that could have been heard for miles. all around … if someone had been there to hear it, “she said.
Pip Hare took over “this race that challenges every aspect of what it means to be a human being.” On Friday, she was in 17th place out of the 27 skippers still in the race
© 2021 AFP
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