British skipper Alex Thomson today said his last chance of winning the 2016-17 Vendée Globe lies with a ridge of high pressure close to the finish line. Thomson said his only hope of overtaking Le Cléac’h, barring mechanical failure, will be if he could get to within 50 miles of the Frenchman’s boat Banque Populaire VIII by the time they reach the ridge. If he were able to do that he believes he will be within striking distance of the Le Cléac’h on the final sprint to the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.

Thomson, who has been attempting to hunt down Le Cléac’h since he stole the Vendée Globe lead from him in early December, began the day 250 miles adrift but by the 1400 UTC update the gap had narrowed to 216nm. Around 300nm west of the Cape Verde Islands, Le Cléac’h, the runner-up in the last two editions of the Vendée Globe, had this afternoon slowed temporarily in slightly lighter winds, his eight knots of boat speed significantly less than Thomson’s 13.

Although the pair still have around 2,000 miles to go before they reach Les Sables, Thomson admitted Le Cléac’h is now odds-on favourite to win. But he vowed to push his arch rival right the way to the end of the solo non-stop round the world race in his pursuit of the title. “There’s a ridge and I could catch up with Armel – it depends who gets across the ridge first,” Thomson said. “If there are no dramas, he should cross the ridge before me and then he’ll win the race. It’s getting more and more difficult to make a move, but I remain pragmatic and optimistic. Maybe something’s going to happen. I certainly see us closing up. According to the computer I’ll finish five hours behind him but we’ll have to wait and see – you never know.” Thomson said he expected two days of fairly light winds, then two days of fast sailing before hitting the ridge. “After this light patch I need to be within fifty miles of him,” he said. “In a few days I could make up the fifty miles. If I don’t get within fifty miles by the end of this light stuff, my chances of beating him are quite slim.”

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Dick today became the fourth Vendée Globe skipper in the northern hemisphere after passing the Equator for the second and final time. Dick, competing in his fourth Vendée Globe, passed the line of latitude that divides north from south at 1033 UTC, just shy of 67 days after starting the solo round the world race from Les Sables d’Olonne in France. He now joins Le Cléac’h, Thomson and third-placed Jérémie Beyou on the relative home strait to the finish line some 3,000 nautical miles away.

Following successful Cape Horn roundings for Eric Bellion and Conrad Colman, the next skippers to pass the milestone will be Arnaud Boissières on La Mie Câline and Newrest Matmut skipper Fabrice Amedeo. The pair, currently enjoying fast downwind conditions, are expected to reach Cape Horn on Sunday. “For sailors this is the Holy Grail and particularly for me,” Amedeo said. “My two goals at the start were to round the Horn and make it to the finish. I’m close now to my first goal, so I’m pleased.”

The current ETA in Les Sables for the Vendée Globe leaders is Thursday January 19.

Rankings on 12/01/2017 at 3pm (french time)

1. Armel Le Cléach – Banque Populaire VIII – 1 958 Nm
2. Alex Thomson – Hugo Boss – 216 Nm from leader
3. Jérémie Beyou – Maître Coq – 806 Nm from leader
4. Jean-Pierre Dick – StMichel-Virbac – 1 232 Nm from leader
5. Jean Le Cam – Finistère Mer Vent – 1 357 Nm from leader

Photo Credit: Conrad Colman

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