Vendée Globe 2020

News bout Spanish Didac Costa on One Planet One ocean, doing well with this old 2000 design with which Ellen Mc Arthur finished second. To note that he sails without daggerboards to be lighter and is pleasantly surprised by the behaviour of his boat :
News - Didac Costa An Update With Aleix Gelabert - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)
Tracking : Tracking map - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)

 

Alex Thomson out of the race and heading for Cape Town.Very unfortunate and we won't be seeing what the latest Hugo Boss is capable of.

 

Guillaume Verdier comments about the race and his designs Apivia and Linkedout currently 1st and 2nd :
News - Vendée English live #21 : Guillaume Verdier - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)

 

Live of the day with Christopher Pratt :
News - Vendée English live #22 : Christopher Pratt - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)
Tracking : Tracking map - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)

 

Ouch ouch ouch .... : ingress of water in PRB, Kevin Escoffier in liferaft and is rescuing by Jean Le Cam :
News - Kevin Escoffier (PRB) Activates Distress Beacon. Jean Le Cam Alters Course To Assist - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)
News - Le Cam On Zone, Escoffier In Liferaft - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)

 

I have seen a report that Jean Le Cam is having engine problems and the race organisers have asked Boris Hermann,Yannick Bestaven and Sebastien Simon to divert as well.some information here :News - Three Skippers Have Been Requested To Head To The Zone - Vendée Globe - En https://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/20685/three-skippers-have-been-requested-to-head-to-the-zone .

 

I complete your info >>> News from Le Télégramme de Brest " : "Arrived in the area in 17 hours, the dean of the race (Jean Le cam) unsealed its engine to perform the maneuver Recovery skipper of PRB. Le Cam, who had a problem with his engine, managed to fix it. But doing this, he lost the visual with the raft. Suddenly, the race management asked Boris Herrmann, Yannick Bestaven and also Sébastien Simon to head to the zone as well." It is the night now on zone, wind 23 to 30 with gust at 40 and rough sea state.
Source : Vendée Globe. Escoffier dans son radeau de survie, quatre skippers à son secours - Vendée Globe - Le Télégramme (letelegramme.fr)

 

News - 2200hrs UTC NEWS UPDATE Four Vendée Globe Skippers Are In The Zone To Help In Rescue of Kevin Escoffier - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)

 

Jean has got him.

Kevin Escoffier rescued by Jean Le Cam >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2020/11/30/kevin-escoffier-rescued-by-jean-le-cam/

 

The full story with its happy end :
News - Escoffier's Rescue, Mission Accomplished. Yes He Did! - Vendée Globe - En https://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/20697/escoffier-s-rescue-mission-accomplished-yes-he-did

 

Kevin Escoffier about the damage :
“It’s surreal what happened. The boat pulled back on itself in a wave at 27 knots. I heard a crack but, honestly, it didn't take the noise to understand. I looked at the bow, it was at 90 °. Within seconds, there was water everywhere. The stern of the boat was underwater and the bow pointed skyward. The boat broke in two forward of the mast bulkhead. She sort of fell back. I assure you, I am not exaggerating anything ... there was a 90 ° angle between the back and the front of the boat. "

 

Its great to know that a successful rescue took place.Of all the competitors,Jean Le Cam has good reason to appreciate the gravity of the situation and the experience to carry out the rescue.The description of the damage to PRB sounds like the sort of thing that could have happened to Hugo Boss,had the damage not been detected in time.I know the latest boats have extensive stress monitoring equipment embedded but don't know what was on PRB.I hope the race organisers will encourage any competitors with the data to share it anonymously so that the combined knowledge can be used to design boats that will resist the loads that such fantastic performance can develop.

 

News - Relieved Escoffier Speaks About His Rescue By Jean Le Cam - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)
The faster presently is Occitane, around 23 knots in its approach to the roaring forties :
Changement de décor ! - YouTube

 

Arkea Paprec has suffered severe foil damage to starboard foil and his foil housing has separated from the hull. The trailing edge of the foil got crushed at the hull, but he has managed to retract the foil somehow. He has a water ingress problem and is heeling the boat to the opposite side.

 

News about Arkea Paprec with pictures of the damaged foil. Presently in 30 Knots of wind, that should not ease for a first preliminary repair of the foil housing. Unfair cruel UFO occurence, once again ....
News - ARKEA PAPREC hits OFNI and damages starboard foil and casing - Vendée Globe - En (vendeeglobe.org)