“I found myself face to face with it”, “it's scary, we're not being smart”: a drifting iceberg is causing anxiety in the Vendée Globe

L’année 2025 commence dans la peur pour l’arrière-garde du Vendée Globe. imageBROKER.com – imageBROKER/L. Weyers

Alors que le duel entre Dalin et Richomme se poursuit en tête, l’arrière de la course s’angoisse à l’idée de heurter l’iceberg.

In a race slowed by capricious winds, Charlie Dalin remains in the lead of the Vendée Globe, closely followed by Yoann Richomme in their climb back up the Atlantic, far ahead of certain competitors tensed by the appearance of an iceberg in the Pacific.

During the night, Dalin lost a good part of his lead, which was nearly 50 miles at the 7 p.m. time point on Wednesday, over Richomme, who was back to just 18.3 miles at the 7 a.m. time point on Thursday. The mano a mano continues off the coast of Brazil as the first two hope to finally benefit from the trade winds to accelerate towards the equator.

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My hull is 3.6 mm thick, I can't afford to type that

Far behind, in the peloton sailing towards Cape Horn, the skippers must negotiate the visit of an iceberg, which has escaped from the ice zone forbidden to competitors. “It's scary, we're not being smart” , whispered Eric Béllion, 23rd in the solo round the world race. “I remind you that my hull is 3.6 mm thick, I can't allow myself to type that. Icebergs are beautiful with expedition boats equipped with steel hulls but not with our carbon racing boats.”

Ranking Thursday at 7 am

1. Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) &agrave 4,349.3 miles from the finish
2. Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA) 18.3 miles from the first
3. Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) 348.0
4. Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) 1,369.7
5. Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) 1,565.3
6. Nicolas Lunven (HOLCIM – PRB) 1,674.9
7. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) 1,700.3
8. Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) 1,729.3
9. Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer) 1,730.6
10. Justine Mettraux (TeamWork – Team Snef) 1,793.2…

Let's give up: . Pip Hare (Medallia). Yannick Bestaven (Master CoQ V). Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée). Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne). Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe)

More icebergs in sight

Before him, Sébastien Marsset, 22nd, had been the first to see the iceberg and had initiated a “battle alert” to avoid it: this vision , “frankly, it cuts my legs, I was heading straight for it! So this iceberg had not finally drifted towards the North at all, but due East, so I was at the same latitude than him, and I found myself… facing him!”

Marsset has maneuvered well to move away and continue on his way. He can now “take a breath “ although another ice monster has been announced a little further to the East. “The year 2025 is starting off very intensely, and I have saw an iceberg for the first time in my life!”, he concluded.