Loving it, from the heart
After the triumphant return of Bertrand de Broc last night, completing his first Vendée Globe at his third attempt, today there are still two competitors still at sea. And both are still loving their Vendée Globe.
Currently at the latitude of the island of Santa Maria, the southernmost island of the Azores, Tanguy de Lamotte is in the west of the Azores anticyclone and is committed to the long road around to the west. At 0900hrs UTC this morning he was Score at 250 miles from Horta in the Azores and 1526 miles des Sables.
A large depression is approaching the French coast around when Tanguy de Lamotte will enter the Bay of Biscay, its timing will determine when he finishes next weekend.
Tanguy spoke to Race HQ in Les Sables d’Olonne this morning:
“ I lost the pump yesterday, it packed up and stopped working so I took one from the forward starboard ballast and so it is all good and after that I had a great day of sailing. There is just a little cloud and maybe just a little too little wind, 10-12 kts, but it was great sailing. I gybed to the NW for a while because I felt like I was too close to the centre of the high, mentally that was tough for a while and so now I have gybed back. I have 15-18kts and will be on this gybe for a couple of days all the way around the high.
The sun is just coming up. I am definitely enjoying my race just now. I have about six days left, it doesn’t seem too close to the finish just now, and I am just enjoying it. Last night I could see the vapour trails of a a few planes high in the sky and you feel like you are getting closer to civilisation again, and you are thinking how people flying don’t appreciate the miles they are making or the cost of them.
I have opened my last food box which is designed to last me a week, through to next Sunday, and then I have enough freeze dried for another three days and some extra so I am in good shape.”
Meantime Alessandro di Benedetto is still in the trade winds making 24 hours runs of more than 300 miles and this morning is 700 miles behind Tanguy and 2228 miles Tanguy from the finish.
And last night Acciona 100% Eco Powered was 65 miles from the Azores under tow.
