Cape Horn
Dutreux is happy to be getting to the Horn, “This for me is an incredible opportunity to do the Vendée Globe, to sail in the Southern Ocean, to take the opportunity to surpass myself and get off the beaten track. For this new year, I hope everyone takes on their own challenges, including the maddest ones!”
Of his outlook at the Horn he says, “Foggy conditions are forecast but it would be a huge gift to be able to see the Horn especially since that wasn’t the case four years ago. It could be a great memory!", explained the sailor from the Vendée "Our approach might be quite slow especially since we hit the light winds earlier than expected".
Meantime the youngest sailor in the race, 23 year old Violette Dorange (DEVENIR) is preparing to experience another unique moment on her race reaching Point Nemo at midnight. "It's pretty crazy", she confides. “I’m not too sad about missing the party on land, because what I’m experiencing here is incredible. I’m so happy! On January 1, 2024, I woke up and said to myself “this year, it’s the Vendée Globe!”, and here I am. I’m making the most of every moment!”.
Conrad’s magic jacket
Conditions in the south Pacific might be relatively benign, moderate winds allowing some quite easy miles but the bitter cold is every present. One skipper who is finding it chilly is Kiwi Conrad Colman (MS AMILIN) who, true to his pledge, is aiming to go round the world fossil fuel free. In 28th racing closely with Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI One), Colman has no heating at all. A godsend, he says, is a new electrically heated jacket his is pioneering and developing with Gill and beyond that lots of tea and many, many calories. He says he is consuming up to 4000 in the cold weather. “I am getting into big bucket loads of peanut butter as much as I can.”
