This depression located between the south of Tahiti and Antarctica seems never-ending. Despite the conditions improving slightly, they remain very difficult to navigate.
For three days now, the Pacific Ocean has been giving competitors a hard time as they attempt to round Cape Horn. There are still six of them racing toward this symbolic goal. Alexia Barrier, for instance, has a little less than 2,000 miles to go before passing the tip of South America. However, the path will be fraught with obstacles, as is currently the case.
Significantly slowed down in this depression, which will undoubtedly remain one of the highlights of the Vendée Globe for the Azuréenne, the “Penguin” continues its slow progress as it tries to carve a path through waves still reaching seven meters in height. On Tuesday evening, the skipper wanted to stay warm inside her IMOCA, but yesterday she had to jibe to head down toward the ice zone and catch some wind. This maneuver was also carried out by Sam Davies and Ari Huusela, who remain by her side.
“Well, the strong winds haven’t ended yet, but at least I’m getting closer to the goal (editor’s note: Cape Horn). There are still big waves and squalls, but we’re not giving up,” she regularly says to bolster her courage! And courage is indeed needed to face such weather conditions in the middle of the ocean, alone or nearly so, on an 18-meter long monohull. Everyone is eagerly awaiting tomorrow when the situation might calm down a bit, reducing pressure before tackling the remaining 17,500 km.
