Though a report was sent by his Cheminées Poujoulat team last night indicating that Bernard Stamm was nearly ready to leave his anchorage off Dunedin, NZ and rejoin the race after making repairs, the Swiss skipper, who has been protested by the Race Committee, was still stopped early this morning. The actions which took place when he went alongside a Russian survey vessel in the Auckland Islands in adverse weather conditions in a tight anchorage are the subject of the protest hearing. It is investigating whether outside assistance, contrary to the strict race rules, took place. Fiftes in the 50’s….Le Cam accelerates Conditions have been pretty tough for the vastly experienced Jean Le Cam who leads the group of ‘Fifties in the 50’s’ on SynerCiel. Le Cam, 53, had visibly slowed through yesterday and had complained of the robust sea state but his more direct course to the north of the tracks of Mike Golding (Gamesa) and Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) sees the French skipper sailing significantly quicker, riding the low pressure system whilst his pursuers are on the back of it and may run the risk of falling off. After repositioning to the north slightly and losing some miles in lighter airs, Spain’s Javier Sanso – 300 miles behind Mirabaud - looks set to have Acciona 100% Eco Powered back in stronger NW’ly winds today. Photo Credit: Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/Vendée Globe
Jean-Pierre Dick and Alex Thomson have been reeling off relatively fast miles as they benefit from strong W’ly and NW’ly winds which are allowing them a much more direct, straight course towards the final safety gate of the course. Forced south by an awkward transition zone of slack winds, race leader Le Cléac’h and Gabart make only modest speeds. With some 300 miles to make to the Pacific West gate Le Cléach is ahead of Gabart by just 12.7 miles this morning, the pair making between 13 and 15kts in light N’ly winds. Their speeds have risen slightly but their losses to their pursuers are expected to continue. Dick has reduced his margin to the leader by 180 miles in 24 hours and was down to 460 miles behind Banque Populaire. Briton Thomson, recovering 170 miles over that same period, is about 850 miles behind.
Arnaud Boissieres (Akena Verandas), sixth in the last edition of the Vendée Globe, must have expected to be higher up the fleet at this stage, but the skipper from Arcachon has been delivering some impressively quick 24 hour runs recently. He has just passed Stamm and so is up to ninth place and is 450 miles from the New Zealand gate. Bertrand de Broc (Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM Projects) passed into the Pacific at 21:55hrs last night.
L’italiano Federico Pilloni è secondo assoluto dopo una prestazione esplosiva con due vittorie di giornata
Ottima prestazione anche del J24 Bellastoria di Benfatto, terzo nella classifica ORC della manifestazione organizzata nelle acque antistanti Varazze e Celle Ligure dal Comitato dei Circoli del Ponente. In regata anche un Team Under 25 su Miolo do Pan
Dinamica e sempre più attenta al coinvolgimento dei giovani, fa della promozione della cultura del mare, del rispetto per l’ambiente, della collaborazione fra Circoli e dell’impegno costante, i segreti del suo successo
La Classe Finn ha presentato il World Tour per il Finn Grand Slam 2026
Giornata top per i tattici italiani impegnati sugli RC44: Vasco Vascotto (Peninsula), Michele Ivaldi (Aleph) e Checco Bruni (GeMera)
Dopo sei prove, la classifica è un rebus: i campioni 2025 di Team Nika ultimi, mentre il team turco Wow! Sailing Team di Mehmet Taki e Murat Edin firma la prima vittoria assoluta
Il team di John Bassadone, con Vasco Vascotto alla tattica, ha vinto a Calero Marinas al termine di una settimana intensa e combattuta, imponendosi con cinque punti di vantaggio sulla debuttante GeMera Racing (tattico Checco Bruni)
L’azzurro Federico Pilloni (U23) è stato protagonista assoluto di giornata, firmando una serie di prestazioni di alto livello che gli hanno permesso di conquistare temporaneamente la leadership superando il britannico Finn Hawkins
Hawkins torna al comando tra gli uomini, Wilson sempre leader tra le donne agli iQFOiL International Games di Lanzarote
Nella flotta femminile Marta Maggetti si giocherà domani le sue carte. La classifica vede davanti la britannica Emma Wilson, seguita dall’israeliana Sharon Kantor e dall’azzurra