The 9th edition of the Vendée Globe remains exciting until the finish line: Behind front runner Charlie Dalin, who only had to sail 261 nautical miles to the finish line at 4 a.m. on January 27, the pursuers have formed for the final sprint. They determined their positions for this days ago. While Dalin and Boris Herrmann, who is only 49 nautical miles behind him in the very early morning, are looking for their luck off Cape Finisterre, the "Northern Group" made up ground again on Wednesday night in their catch-up race. From the last to the current position report, Yannick Bestaven in particular was able to move closer to the top, shortened his deficit on Charlie Dalin within six hours in better winds by an impressive 57.5 nautical miles and, with a view to his time credit of 10 hours and 15 minutes in a row, kept his Participation in the rescue mission for Kevin Escoffier in the South Atlantic his chances of victory.
Charlie Dalin is expected to cross the finish line on "Apivia" first. But what place will his lead over the pursuers reach with a view to the time credits in their pockets?
The positions on January 27 at 4 a.m. The "split" in the leading group is clearly visible: Dalin and Herrmann at Cape Finisterre and the pursuers in the north
Louis Burton
Yannick Bestaven
On the water, "Apivia" skipper Charlie Dalin is almost 50 nautical miles ahead of Boris Herrmann on the last nautical miles of the race around the world. But the chase of his pursuers Boris Herrmann, Louis Burton, Thomas Ruyant and Yannick Bestaven is furious. In the fight for the crown, the 36-year-old Dalin from Concarneau in Brittany must currently fear the 48-year-old Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV ") from LRochelle, who has come dangerously close to him, including his time credit.
Boris Herrmann, who is well in second place in the race, is still fighting for a podium place, was able to make up 23.2 nautical miles on Dalin from the last to the current position report in the early morning and is more of his secret dream of placing in the top five before the race as close. The 39-year-old from Hamburg's HafenCity is allowed to deduct six hours from his total sailing time at the finish due to his participation in the Escoffier rescue mission in the South Atlantic and could - depending on the course of the chase behind him - still sail onto the podium. Even Jean Le Cam, who is also catching up and in eighth place, is not quite out of the running for a top position with his compensation of 16 hours and 15 minutes. The final bill for the top five could be minutes.
Already the winner of the heart: "Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco" skipper Boris Herrmann
All the skippers involved in this sailing thriller would be worthy winners. For 80 days and nights so far, they have offered an audience of millions the most thrilling of all Vendée Globe editions since the premiere in 1989/1990 and shaped the race with their strengths and weaknesses. Boris Herrmann is the winner of hearts in his home country even before the finish line. By the day after this spectacular finale, more than 20,000 written messages, reports and reports about the young family man and his team Maliziallein will have been published in Europe. DSV President MonKüppers, who shared the excitement for Herrmann during the day and also on some nights, said: "I can't remember a time when sailing was as prominent in the media as it is now with Boris Herrmann in mind. He's a stroke of luck for German sailing, a symbol and role model for a new generation."
"Like a child at Christmas": Boris Herrmann gives deep insights into his state of mind on the last nautical miles
Boris Herrmann himself headed for the finish line resolutely, but was not unimpressed by the exciting final act. As he sailed towards Les Sables-d'Olonne in the fog on the evening of the 79th day, he said: "The final miles! Honestly, I'm a little excited. It feels a bit strange: We are committed to this side while the other guys up north are sailing. It's so hard to predict. I can only sail as well as possible. You can't do much more than pick a smart jibe moment, tighten your sail, be a little more efficient here and there. That's it. The dice have been cast, the cards have actually been on the table for a while. I think these are the most exciting moments I've ever imagined. It's more exciting than I would like. I don't know if I've ever been this excited. Like a child at Christmas."
The Showdwon in the Bay of Biscay is imminent, rises this evening and should be decided by the morning of January 28th. How the choice of the more direct, shorter course by Dalin and Herrmann or the decision in favor of the longer but faster north route for Louis Burton ("Bureau Vallée 2"), Thomas Ruyant ("LinkedOut") and Yannick Bestaven will pay off is decided overnight. Good to know for fans: as soon as the leading boat is only 200 nautical miles from the finish line, the position reports on the Vendée Globe homepage are updated every 30 minutes. If the front runner is only 60 nautical miles away from the line in front of Les Sables-d'Olonne, updates come every five minutes. The race management has extended the finish line from 0.3 to 1.9 nautical miles due to the possible simultaneous arrival of several boats in accordance with Article 9.1 in the sailing instructions. Former competitor Yann Eliès said: "And now we are here. We just have to be patient and wait what happens until the first boats at the finish line. Let the magic of the sport work."
Here you can find the tracker and the intermediate results (please click!).
