Vendée Globe - Week 3: Keeping up the pace to Good Hope
In the South Atlantic since crossing the equator on Friday, November 22, Clarisse Crémer has distinguished herself by being part of the “front pack” that managed to catch the tail end of a low-pressure system off Brazil, synonymous with an express descent to the tip of Africa. After a week of breakneck speeds and now “disembarked” by the said front, the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence now has to deal with milder conditions, but where strategy and the need for good positioning won't be any more relaxing!
Last call for South Africa boarding
With the equator duly crossed and hot tea and carrots as offerings - in the absence of alcohol on board and in the presence of Jimmy the big-eared soft toy rabbit- Clarisse Crémer knew she had to get a move on if she wanted to stay with the leading pack she'd held since her dazzling ascent of the Doldrums. The “train” for a direct route to the Cape of Good Hope would not pass twice. So, for two days, she worked at an average speed of over 20 knots, to ensure she would have her place on the toboggan and be pushed by the winds for as long as possible. It was a real balancing act, at nearly 30 knots, constantly having to realign herself to avoid being ejected from the narrow corridor of favorable winds and seeing her rivals slip away. “This boat is pretty crazy”, she confided, protective helmet screwed on her head, also forced to slalom, still at full speed, between fishing nets dropped by Chinese ships. A good dose of cold sweat between two frenzied surfs, during which life on board was particularly uncomfortable. But Clarisse held on to a more than respectable 12th place.
Southern Ocean, here she comes!
Well placed in the chasing pack, the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence even managed a temporary 11th place on Wednesday, when she got the better of Justine Mettraux, before seeing Boris Herrmann's brand-new Malizia come back like a rocket in her rear-view mirror. On Friday morning, after a monotonous week of speeding along on the same tack, akin to “a never-ending parade of days at sea” spent cashing in, the sailor admitted she wasn't unhappy to be able to ease off the pace a little. “We mustn't forget that we're about to cross two oceans that aren't known for their convenience,” she reminded us in a message from onboard, regretting all the same that she had been ‘disembarked by the front’ before reaching the Cape of Good Hope.
“The speeds are a little less efficient, and the brain-scratching to find the right trajectory is going to be a little more intensive” , she analyzed, already applying herself - alongside a well-executed anti-dreadlock operation - to tacking a few more times in anticipation of the St. Helena high, which is settling into the south of her route. A brief moment's respite, during which she'll need to hold on to a decent breeze, while controlling her Swiss rival in a hellish battle of gybes. And she'll be able to carry out some final checks before ticking off the first of the three capes, returning to the southern seas and honouring her rendezvous with the next low-pressure system in the middle of next week. “For the moment, I'm delighted to be where I am, and I must admit I'm even a little proud to feel the way I do. I'm here and I'm moving forward, that's all I need.”
