Boxing day envy
For Jérémie Beyou (Charal), currently sitting in fifth place, the race has been a test of resilience.
A podium favourite before the start, Beyou reflects on the near impossibility of catching the leaders:
“Now I work hard with what I have, I fight with my conditions, I don’t give up! … It seems impossible to me to come back to the first two, statistically it seems impossible unless there’s a cataclysm.”
The weather disparity has left Beyou and his peers watching in frustration as the leaders streak ahead, encountering fewer manoeuvres and more favourable systems. The top trio’s lead—built on consistent downwind progress—seems unassailable, leaving the trailing sailors to navigate the gruelling conditions of the South Pacific.
Navigating a tough cape horn
The second group, including Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer), faces another gruelling test as they approach Cape Horn. Steep waves and howling winds of up to 40 knots promise a punishing passage. As Beyou explains, strategy at the Horn will be critical:
“If you want to do the inside the Falklands thing you have to hug the Horn. If you want to continue along the ZEA, you can do the big tour.”
For Herrmann, whose boat thrives in tough conditions, the challenge remains daunting but familiar. His focus is on securing a top-five position, knowing the group’s cohesion could shift dramatically with one slip in tactics or performance.
Leaders race to Rio
In contrast, Richomme and Dalin enjoy smoother sailing as they prepare to enter a low-pressure system, delivering prime downwind conditions. The duo’s competition remains fierce, with Dalin narrowing the gap to mere miles. Their target: to extend their lead as they head towards Rio and the North Atlantic.
The fortune of the leaders has not gone unnoticed. Beyou, looking back on the South Pacific, remarks with a touch of bitterness:
“It’s the weather that decides. Now, is there any justice in that? No, not really!”
Tight races and relentless fatigue
Meanwhile, the second group remains tightly packed, with fourth place still within reach for many. However, the relentless conditions have taken a toll. Exhausted from repeated gybes and relentless headwinds, sailors like Beyou and Herrmann must balance aggression with caution as they prepare for the Atlantic leg.
Contrasting fortunes
As the Vendée Globe fleet prepares to turn north, the disparity in conditions continues to divide the race. While the leaders carve a clear path to Rio, the second group must fight for every mile in a battle that is as much mental as physical.
For now, the Boxing Day blues reign among those left chasing, but with the Atlantic still ahead, the race is far from over.
