There it is, Louis is indeed immersed in the great bath of the South. Her first depression is here, too. Not particularly powerful on paper: 25 – 30 knots but, there, the sea is queen and waves of a unique magnitude. Yesterday, upstream of this front, Louis evoked "a cross and formed sea, not conducive to speed."
So, as a good sailor he took the time to prepare his boat for the tough weeks ahead of the bow of his Imoca Fives Group – Lantana Environnement. “I spent two and a half hours changing my front sails, dismantling and trimming* Code 0. Rigged the front little sails instead. I also put everything on deck and inside the boat… I didn’t think it would take me that long!”
In the Indian Ocean tomorrow
At the same time, Louis took care to position himself north of this first weather system for a better compromise wind angle – safety.
The fleet of Imoca drifters has been doing gybes since yesterday (change of tack when the wind comes from the back of the boat) to make the most of the flow from the west that pushes them towards the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope, They should double tomorrow and that will mark their entry into the Indian Ocean.
Chi va sano…
At 7 am this morning, the skipper Normand is in 29th position, 7th of the boats with drifts. Louis now makes his way as a good sailor. His goal is above all to preserve his boat and cross without major problems these hostile seas. Competition is of course always omnipresent, but to figure well, you have to last. And to last, you have to preserve your mount.
* trimming: With each change of sail, the skippers move all the heavy equipment they can move inside, as on the deck, of their boat so that the weight of these sails, boxes and other bags participates in the balance of the boat. It’s a big physical job that sometimes takes more than an hour to do each maneuver, to dock all this equipment from one side to the other, but it is essential to performance.
A respectuous and circular sporting event
The Fives IMOCA is an "upcycled" boat. Thanks to Louis, it lives a 2nd life!
Louis and his team gave a new life to a very damaged IMOCA because of a fire. This refurbishment undertaking was a real technical challenge... that succeeded in only 10 months!
Louis and his team continue to apply this upcycling principle and optimization research with a constant effort on sobriety throughout this Vendée Globe program.
Louis is also very keen on respecting everyone's work and giving a chance.
The Fives Group, a major partner in this Vendée Globe program, has been seduced by such commitment and values, as it shares the same values and responsibilities.
Fives, your partner for a more virtuous industry
For over 200 years, the Group has designed the breakthrough solutions and technologies that make industry what it is. From the first railways to the Eiffel Tower, through the spatial conquest, Fives always spearheaded the industry of the future. Pioneering decarbonization, the Group is an unconditional partner of the industry's energy transition. Through digitization, the promotion of a circular economy and the development of new processes and new energy sources, Fives puts its technological leadership to its customers' service.
www.fivesgroup.com