At 57 degrees south, racing through freezing winds of 15 knots, the top trio are practically neck and neck. Dalin and Richomme are separated laterally by just a few miles, while Simon, positioned around 70 miles to their north, remains firmly in contention.
Basile Rochut, the Vendée Globe’s weather consultant, summarised the scenario:
“The leaders are going to be able to continue to sail along the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ) and the short-term trend is more towards a regrouping between the three.”
It’s a fascinating dynamic — a battle of strategy, precision, and sheer grit — with all three sailors keeping a wary eye on their rivals and the approaching Cape Horn.
Chasing pack in close quarters
Meanwhile, the chasing group has seen significant compression. Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB) leads a tightly packed cluster of skippers, with Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE), Jérémie Beyou (Charal), and Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) all within striking distance. Herrmann’s recovery is particularly notable, bringing him back into a position many expected of him given his formidable track record.
The stakes remain high for this group. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm), currently 8th, highlighted the tactical nature of staying with the system:
“If we manage to hang on to this front, it’s going to propel [us] across almost one-third of the Pacific in favourable conditions.”
However, it’s a game of fine margins. Cremer and Sam Davies have already paid the price for falling off the fast-moving front.
Technical setbacks take their toll
For Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence), frustrations boiled over after a series of technical issues caused her to lose significant ground. Battling waves over five metres high, Crémer detailed her challenges:
“I fought for hours to be at the front… It took me three hours to fix it — I’m so frustrated. It’s driving me crazy!”
Her struggles echo the harsh reality of solo ocean racing, where seemingly small failures can compound into hours of lost time. Sam Davies, too, finds herself in 13th, unable to keep pace with the advancing group.
Further back, the attrition continues. Seb Marsset (FOUSSIER) grapples with hydrogenerator issues hot on the heels of a hydraulic keel ram failure, while Guirec Soudée spent more than 20 hours hunkered down in his cockpit, braving severe winds.
Mid-fleet skirmishes intensify
Even outside the front-runners, competition remains fierce. The mid-fleet group, including Alan Roura (Hublot), Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère – Armor-lux), and Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline), push each other relentlessly. Boissières, nursing an injured knee, remains optimistic about the close-quarters racing:
“Our level here is very sustained. We are always in contact with each other… we’re really pushing each other together.”
For Swiss skipper Roura, the race ahead is both tactical and physical:
“The sea isn’t very even, but we’re moving forward! After that, we’re going to have a very long 1,300-mile leg before entering a transition zone.”
Harsh realities of the Southern Ocean
The conditions across the fleet are unrelenting. From the leaders battling freezing temperatures near the Antarctic Exclusion Zone to the back markers contending with heavy weather systems, the Southern Ocean continues to test every skipper. Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One) and Switzerland’s Oliver Heer (Tut gut.) are among those enduring prolonged time in strong winds, highlighting the unforgiving nature of this race.
For now, the leading trio can relish their hard-fought positions. With less than five miles separating them, it’s anyone’s game as they press on towards the Pacific’s final challenge: the mighty Cape Horn. For the chasing pack, the challenge is clear — hold on to the advancing front and hope for a chance to claw back the miles.
The Vendée Globe remains, as always, a race of endurance, resilience, and split-second decisions. And with Day 37 providing such razor-thin margins, there’s no telling who will blink first in this epic battle at sea.
