If the celebration was unique on land in this special year, the skippers at sea also experienced an atypical New Year’s Eve, with the utmost respect for health restrictions!
There will inevitably be some feasting. A small bag carefully prepared by the teams, labeled December 31, containing some treats to lift the spirits of the lonely sailors in the southern seas. A meal out of the ordinary, along with a small bottle of alcoholic beverages to warm their throats. While the sailors think of their loved ones and the land, this 53rd day at sea is like all the others and will be experienced at the pace dictated by the boats, strategy, and weather.
In this little game, Alexia Barrier rolled up her sleeves to mend the wounds of this turbulent 2020: “I did a bit of carbon sanding. I decided to repair my hydrogenerator in these mild conditions, which are completely different from what I experienced last night. It was horrible, more than thirty knots, waves seven meters high… I don’t know why I headed back southeast; it was atrocious. Finally, I managed to gybe and quickly leave that area to spend this last day of 2020 a bit more serenely.”
In any case, let’s hope for her that this last day of 2020 resembles the year that has just begun, calmer and free from trouble, so she can achieve her number one goal: to finish this Vendée Globe in 97 days!
