SAILING: The dream is just a stones throw away … After finishing second twice, Armel Le Cléac’h is close to winning his first Vendée Globe. A huge crowd awaits the skipper of Banque Populaire at the Sables d’Olonne, where he is expected to arrive at 5pm this afternoon
Except incident, Armel Le Cléac’h, leading the Vendée Globe for the last month and a half, is expected to cut the finish line on Thursday afternoon . After 74 days of racing, four days better than the time set by François Gabart in 2012/2013 (78 days 2 hours 16 min).
The rankings and positions this Thursday at 9am, Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) sped to victory with 95.86 miles ahead of his nearest rival, Alex Thomson, with whom he has been in a duel with since the start on the 6th November. The Welshman also expected to pass the line and finish today in the evening.
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The Welshman is further away of his dream of being the first foreigner to win the Vendée Globe. Still Le Cléac’h can still be penalized by a technical problem or colliding with a fishing boat or cargo while the vessel traffic is dense in this final portion of the race. But the Breton is in an exceptional dynamic and has taken advantage of a race to the touch.
In third place we find Beyou (Maître Coq) sailing 708 miles from the leader. Yann Elies (Quéguiner – Leukemia Hope) sees Jean Le Cam (Finistere Sea Wind) back in 9000. Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac St Michel) is right behind at 13 miles from Le Cam.
Sébastien Destremau (TechnoFirst – faceOcean) always brings up the rear in this great day to 9.447 million Jackal …
