Tomorrow, only eleven will be left sailing in the Atlantic. They all find themselves in very different situations on this 89th day of the race.
The wind has been nearly nonexistent for the Penguin since yesterday. Alexia Barrier is just shy of a complete calm offshore of the Brazilian coast. With an average of five knots throughout the day, the Maralpine has only covered 120 miles in the last 24 hours. The same fate has befallen her travel companion for the past month, Ari Huusela, who is going to find himself in an even calmer zone.
But fortunately, according to the weather radars of the Vendée Globe, forecasts indicate the arrival of a depression moving north to south, which should push the two skippers out of the Saint Helena high-pressure system. Gusts potentially reaching 40 knots could offer some hope to Alexia Barrier, who wishes to complete her world tour by the end of the month.
If these conditions persist, it will be challenging to meet the deadlines. But as is well known in the Vendée Globe, it’s nature that decides! For now, the Maralpine is savoring this moment of tranquility on board, enjoying the vividly colorful landscapes under summer-like conditions (26°C in the air, 28°C in the water). It’s a good opportunity to regain strength and try to repair the faulty equipment from the past few days to complete the adventure.
An adventure that Isabelle Joschke has just resumed aboard her IMOCA, which stayed docked for over 10 days to be pampered by her technical team in Salvador de Bahia. It’s too early for TSE-4myplanet, which will not be able to catch up due to the lack of wind over the past two days…
Alexia still has 4,560 miles remaining before she can experience the joy of navigating up the channel to the applause of a few enthusiasts present at the finish.
