On this 20th day of the race, the event was marked by the withdrawal of the race’s ultra-favorite, Welshman Alex Thomson, who was sailing one of the eight new IMOCA boats in the fleet, while the older monohulls continue to hold their own.
“Slow and steady wins the race!” After Jérémy Beyou was forced to turn back for repairs, it’s now the turn of the other big favorite of this Vendée Globe to say goodbye to victory. Forced to abandon, Alex Thomson, known for being “a daredevil in the sailing world by bringing very high-tech boats,” once again has to give up his dream of sailing around the world.
This shows that money isn’t the only thing that makes a difference! With a budget of less than one million euros, TSE-4myplanet, supported by the Department of Alpes-Maritimes, is continuing its journey with very different objectives. As a “Green Deal” ambassador, the navigator has brought along scientific equipment that will allow researchers to study ocean currents and climate changes in remote areas where data is scarce.
Nonetheless, Alexia Barrier remains competitive with the goal of completing her first round-the-world trip in under 90 days! This mission will be challenging due to unfavorable weather conditions in the early days of the race. However, in the Vendée, anything is possible, and the trend can quickly reverse with favorable winds like those currently encountered in the Southern Tradewinds.
In this game, Alexia had a good day, covering no less than 320 nautical miles (600 km) in under 24 hours, representing the best speed among the second half of the competitors. She still has 38,400 km to go in this adventure.
