32 days ago 33 sailors left France in the VENDÉE GLOBE Round the World Race. All the boats have now passed the Cape of Good Hope and are in the Southern Ocean. The lead boat, skippered by Charlie Dalin, has covered almost 11,000 nautical miles with 13,700 to go. The leaders are now almost off the south coast of Australia. Close behind Dalin are 4 boats within 200 miles. 

6 of the boats are out of the race. One boat dismasted, one retired with a damaged rudder, one lost all his Navigation electronics, one with keel damage and one hit a 30 foot wave at 27 knots, broke the boat and sank. The skipper, Kevin Escoffier was rescued by another racer,  John Le Cam,  and eventually transferred to a French Warship. Here are the retired boats of Alex Thomson and Samantha Davies tied up in Capetown.

One amazing story is that of Jeremie Beyou, on CHARAL. On the first day of the race his boat was damaged and returned to France for repairs. 5 days later he restarted. He was 1000 miles behind the fleet. In the past day, near Capetown, he caught up and has passed two boats. 

It’s an epic race, an amazing test of the boats and the sailors. 

Just saying…