First of all I would like to congratulate Francois and his whole team for an absolutely spectacular job and for making this sport even greater. I would also like to send my congratulations to Armel, both of them have attracted thousands of people to watch the Vendée Globe. My sincere congratulations to both!
It is quite incredible that I only have 12 to 14 days before I finish, having already sailed around the world in this very special and experimental boat. It’s now up to me to be sensible until the finish and try not to make any mistakes.
It won't be long before I’m out of the tropical convergence zone, the ‘Doldrums’ with their squalls and unstable wind conditions. I’ll then get into the trade winds which are much more stable.
The wind is about 20 knots and I have fast upwind conditions with 2-3 metre waves on the bow which means the boat slams down quite a bit. Life on board is quite uncomfortable but I started the upwind stretch just below Rio and I’m still going. You get used to living with 22 degrees at an angle.
The tactics now boil down to staying behind this group and holding on as much as I can. Without the electronics, it is very difficult to keep the boat at a good speed and they are gradually getting away from me, even though we are the fastest.
I never imagined it was going to be so difficult to get through the Doldrums without a radar and without any electronics. When I refer to the electronic equipment, I mean the wind data, which is really important to be able to keep the boat sailing 100%, and the radar helps to see the squalls coming at night, the intensity they will have and more or less how long they might last. My electronics are now two flags on the shrouds, which more or less allow me to see if the wind shifts. I can also see it on the sails, of course but it is by no means an optimum solution.
Acciona is in very good shape. The energy systems are working perfectly. I have been sailing for about three days with overcast skies and very little sun because of the latitude, and the hydro-generators make up for it wonderfully, charging the batteries to 95-98% every day.
Greetings to everyone from ACCIONA
