Vendee Globe Day 44 Cape Horn PAPREC Record Onboard Pip Headed OZ, Tanguy, Jean (clac clac clac) Sam

When he crossed Cape Horn as the narrowest of narrow leaders at the head of the 36 strong Vondée Globe fleet on Monday night, Yoann Richomme set two new records for the solo round the world course. That he smashed Armel Le Clerkk’s 2016 mark of, 47 days, zero hours. 34 minutes, 46 seconds racing between the start and Cape Horn, is in big part due to an ultra rapid passage between Australia’s Cape Leeuwin and the Horn which slashed 4 days 10hours 4 minutes and 29 seconds off Le Clerkk’s 2012 time. Richomme’s new record for the race is 13 days 09 hours 13 minutes 43 seconds.

Richomme certainly owes part of his record to the electric pace forced on him by his closest rival Charlie Dalin, (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), who passed the Horn only 9 minutes and 30 seconds behind, both blessed by a Pacific which really opened up ahead of them – in terms of favourable winds and wave patterns. Having passed both Capes of the course in front it was clearly a source of some chagrin to be denied the hat trick by his nemesis Richomme.