ETA on the Finish line

Due to the tides, a crossing of a finish line doesn’t mean that the boats can enter straight away - which will be the case of Boris’ arrival. Therefore the arrival plan is in two parts: the crossing of the line and the channel passage. Additionally, an ongoing storm makes the arrival plans more complicated. This is what we are currently planning:

ETA CROSSING OF THE STORM FINISH LINE: Between 01:00 and 02:00 in the night of Wednesday 29 Jan to Thursday 30 

Boris will be solo onboard until sunlight and better sea state, when the shore crew can join him.

RACE ARRIVAL - CHANNEL

PASSAGE STARTING AT 15:00 CET

Live coverage of the channel passage and dock-in:

In English on Vendée Globe YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/BRyHlccegQY?si=5I9pvONPjxZlzB2a 

In French on Vendée Globe YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/xLA2k81F4hQ?si=rSHSJINdDg6sNahV 

In German on Sportschau YouTube (1h live) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP6k_9Ng4SQ&list=PLPqdpObZSE_fPMnCjnv2eQQyHfIAZ10Nd&index=3 

Stories and coverage throughout the day on all our social media channels

Final weekly recap! 

It’s week 12 of the Vendée Globe, and Boris is closing in on the finish line in Les Sables-d'Olonne! After enduring weeks of punishing upwind sailing, he finally has the wind at his back - but the challenges aren’t over yet, with strong winds and heavy seas still ahead.

Despite a broken port foil limiting his speed and damaged electronics adding to the difficulties, Boris is navigating Malizia-Seaexplorer with skill and determination. Now, he braces for what he hopes will be "the last big exam of this Vendée Globe."

Fresh News from Boris - (maybe) 10 hours before the finish line! 

"It’s the last day of the Vendée Globe, and I’m about 100 miles from the finish. Four years ago, I arrived on the 28th of January. It would have been funny to land on the same date, but not this time.

Right now, I’m approaching the continental shelf, where the ocean depth suddenly drops from 4,000 metres to just 100. That usually makes the sea state rougher, so we’ll see how it goes. My ETA is around 22:00 UTC, but with the foil damage, I’m slower than I’d like to be. Without it, I’d be there in four or five hours instead of twelve.

A massive low-pressure system is coming in, and we might even end up in the eye of the storm tonight while waiting to enter the channel tomorrow. Wind speeds are fluctuating between 40 and 75 knots, and I just got hit by a 57-knot squall. Pretty intense, but the boat is handling it well.

I’ve got my autopilot running and three ways to keep watch. Through the windows, from the top of the rig, and via satellite, where I can see the weather systems and nearby vessels. My main antenna was taken out by lightning, so I’m relying on a backup.

Sam Davies is close, sometimes going faster, sometimes slower. It’s still a race, after all.

The boat is covered in marine growth, the back has a green beard, and with the smaller waves today, it’s almost cosy. Time for a late breakfast before the final stretch.

See you all tomorrow!"