Dalin first to finish Vendee Globe round-the-world race, but not yet winner
Issued on:
27/01/2021 - 21:30 2 min
Les Sables-d Olonne (France) (AFP)
French sailor Charlie Dalin was the first competitor to cross the finish line in the Vendee Globe round-the-world race on Wednesday but there was no guarantee he will be crowned the winner.
Dalin, on board Apivia, completed the epic race in 80 days, six hours, 15 minutes and 47 seconds, arriving at the French port of Les Sables-d Olonne shortly after 1935GMT.
However, Germany s Boris Herrmann (SeaExplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) and France s Yannick Bestaven (Maitre coq IV) are still in the running for the title.
Vendee Globe Race Victory in the Balance for Charlie Dalin
26th January 2021
Dalin’s latest generation Verdier design with its big foil should be fastest and the 37 year old who grew up in Le Havre, France is the line honours favourite.
Credit: Jean Marie Liot
Passing the latitude of Lisbon, Portugal this morning, Vendee Globe Race leader Charlie Dalin is in control of a very tight three-way fight at the moment, converging fast with Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2) who should be about 30 miles behind when they cross gybes. And Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) is some 37 miles behind Burton in third.
A Vendee Globe skipper says a bulk carrier Captain needed some convincing to change course in order to avoid a potential collision on the high seas.
The incident was reported on the YouTube channel of Germany’s Boris Herrmann, skipper for team Seaexplorer-Yacht Club De Monaco, as the racers crossed commercial traffic somewhere off the coast of the Azores on Sunday.
“I asked the Captain to change course 30 degrees to starboard. They did after a bit of convincing!,” said Herrmann.
“As if we didn’t have enough stress, this adds to the stress,” he added. “Half an hour of checking, convincing him. ‘Get out of my way, I’m a sailboat. I have right of way!’ Ha!”
After 80 days of racing, Vendee Globe could be won by minutes 27 January 2021
With something less than 24 hours until the first solo sailor finishes the Vendée Globe off Les Sables d’Olonne Wednesday night, even the most advanced modern weather routing programmes operated by some of the finest minds in ocean racing cannot seem to agree who the winner of a truly epic ninth edition of the non-stop solo round the world race will be.
The margin of victory looks set to be down to tiny minutes after 80 days and 24,350 miles of racing. With five skippers harbouring realistic hopes of winning, the reality is that any one of Charlie Dalin, Boris Herrmann, Louis Burton, Thomas Ruyant and Yannick Bestaven have delivered performances equally worthy of overall victory.