The brutal south
As the leaders in the Vendée Globe sailed deep into the Southern Ocean, five weeks into the solo round the world race, they found themselves doing something they had never done before – deliberately slowing down.
The furious boat speeds of the latest generation of foiling IMOCAs – close to 30 knots at times – were simply proving too much for man and machine to take.
Race leader Charlie Dalin on Apivia said: “Every time I try to put more sail up, I end up with big nose dives. I have to un-trim, detune my boat. I find myself looking for the brake pedal. The sea state in the Indian Ocean is really what is limiting my speed. Sometimes the boat accelerates in the surf and we go to 28-30 knots and you don’t know how it is going to end.”
All the skippers spoke of a brutal life on board, with deafening noise levels and a violent motion.
“You use up more calories cooking a meal than you consume while eating it,” said British skipper Sam Davies.
Franco-German skipper
