Surely it will never end. The Pacific has been one of the most unstable regions for the entire fleet throughout this Vendée Globe. Depression, storms, cold, squalls, hail—no one has been spared.
If the outcome of the race remains very uncertain with nine boats capable of competing for the win, the weather also decided to act up. Just after escaping a particularly rough sea, now it begins to hail in the Pacific. “I was in the middle of reefing the sail and, as usual, spent three hours in the boom (a rigid bar that maintains and orients the sails), and Sam (Davies) had just sent me a WhatsApp message asking if I had encountered any squalls (…) and bam, the hail. The wind is extremely unstable… it’s depressing, I can’t take it anymore,” confided Alexia Barrier, clearly quite affected by this difficult period.
A source of motivation, the upcoming objective: “in five days the Cape Horn, and after that, I expect a few slaps from Argentina, maybe a relief? Because we would have definitely earned our Cape Horn.” And not just a little, knowing that TSE-4myplanet is going through zones of strong wind reaching up to 30 knots. It’s not easy to gather strength at the moment. In lieu of being able to recharge in bed, the two women at the back support each other and motivate one another by making the best of the weather conditions. In this game of endurance, it’s Samantha Davies who takes the lead today with a speed of 14 knots over the last 24 hours compared to our Maralpine’s 11 knots and her old “Penguin,” which must be longing to return to port.
Just a little more effort (1250 nautical miles) before reaching the South American point, which will undoubtedly be a moment full of emotion for Alexia before heading up the Atlantic where some surprises shouldn’t be ruled out!
