Image: Initiatives-Coeur skipper Sam Davies(GBR) : Photo by Yann Riou / polaRYSE - Polaryse / Initiatives-Coeur
It was with a huge measure of relief and satisfaction that French based Brit Sam Davies (Initiatives-Coeur) emerged from more than 48 hours of hellish weather to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 13th place at 10:15 hrs UTC today. Her elapsed time for the race is 80 days 22 hrs 13 mins and she finishes 11 hrs 56 mins behind Germany’s Boris Herrmann who she was often close with during her race. Davies finishes the race for the second time after taking fourth in the 2008 race and abandoning into Cape Town on the last race after hitting an object and retiring after a dismasting in 2012.
As for Herrmann just in front of her, 13th is not the result the highly talented and vastly experienced Davies wanted when she came into this race, not least as she had recently taken third in The Transat and sixth on the New York Vendée - Les Sables d’Olonne. But on a race which always favoured those who were near the front, in the top peloton, Davies started modestly in the light conditions on the descent of the Atlantic and then was never granted a weather scenario to allow her to make the jump to reconnect with those she would normally be racing beside. She suffered several annoying, time consuming technical problems at just the wrong times, most notably just missing out a few miles behind Herrmann and her close friend and rival Justine Mettraux when they both escaped on to the system in front.
But, unbowed, Davies has been her usual bright, sunny articulate self all the way around the Vendée Globe race course, maintaining an exceptional level of inspirational communication. Even if her position in the fleet was not necessarily what she wanted she visibly cherished every day on the race course on the boat she loves. And whilst she was keen to get finished even a few days ago she was saying how much she would miss the race.
After losing touch with the group in front she had a spirited race up the Atlantic with Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence) and Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environnement – Water Family). Both were able to take advantage of a weather window which allowed them to get across the finish line in the midst of a building storm which she prudently chose to avoid, in fact turning 180 degrees to backwards down the track to miss the system, the sign of excellent seamanship. Nonetheless after the mental challenges of carrying on out of the race on the last Vendée Globe sailing two thirds of the course on her own, finishing this race today with a respectable place achieves Davies number 1 goal!
GERMANY’S BORIS HERRMANN (MALIZIA - SEAEXPLORER) FINSISHES 12th
In rough seas and big winds off Les Sables d’Olonne, German solo racer Boris Herrmann (Malizia - Seaexplorer) completed the Vendée Globe (Wednesday) at 2218hrs (UTC) to take 12th place. For Herrmann it concludes his second back-to-back challenge on the legendary solo non stop race round the world and is his sixth race or record passage round the world. He won the inaugural Global Ocean Challenge (2009) in Class40 then raced the double handed Barcelona World Race (2010) before taking on the Trophée Jules Verne with Frances Joyon (2015-16).
After finishing third on the last The Ocean Race, third on The Transat CIC and second behind Charlie Dalin on the New York-Vendée, all on his robust VPLP designed IMOCA which is designed to do best in the harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean, 12th is a slightly disappointing result for the racer from Hamburg, Germany who until the final few hours was in the frame to win the last Vendée Globe four years ago. Indeed Herrmann said before the start of this race that ‘anything outside the top ten would be a disappointment’ whilst also acknowledging…..“It does not bother me to be spoken about as a favourite. It is correct on paper.”
For a number of reasons he did not do well on the initial descent of the Atlantic, not least in the very light winds, but he was never able to then get up and fight at the forefront of the race. The weather systems were not often on Herrmann’s side. but the German skipper showed his mettle in the Pacific catching up the best part of 1000 miles to catch up with and race with the main peloton, comfortably inside the top 10. But on the Atlantic climb back to Europe he had successive technical problems which mostly scuppered his chances of breaking into the top 5. After Cape Horn in the South Atlantic he was racing for a long period in sight of Sam Goodchild but the Brit broke away. Herrmann struggled for periods in light winds. But ultimately his hopes of a finish in the top ten were scuppered when his port foil was damaged to the point it had to be secured in place, unusable.
But Herrmann, as ever has shared his race far and wide, enhancing his global fan base, never shirking from the truth whilst always taking time to promote his sustainability initiatives and his messages of eco-responsibility. And as one of the most experienced ocean racers in the fleet he has shown an exceptional level of seamanship to finish the race, not least in the final days of his race when he has had to battle winds of up 65kts and seas of 10 metres whilst targeting the best, safest time to finish amidst a chain of storms.