The 24 skippers still racing in the Arctic Vendée will not circumnavigate Iceland as planned. The race management announced this Thursday the modification of the course for safety reasons. “Since yesterday, and particularly this (Thursday) morning, the weather patterns have continued to worsen with a very active depression over Iceland. In the northeast part of the island, there will be average winds of 40 knots and likely gusts to more than 50 knots, in heavy and crossing seas. Moreover, there is no real way out in the area, unlike in the open sea for example. It would be very delicate and dangerous to pass the boats through this place, explained Francis Le Goff, the race director.
Concretely, the sailors will pass through the door to the east of Iceland and head directly for the North Atlantic waypoint which we have shifted 124 miles to the west. The course will be 3,300 miles long. Going back south, the competitors will still face difficult conditions but they will be downwind and will have more room to choose a safer route.» On the fourth day of racing, Charlie Dalin (Apivia) is in command with a hundred miles ahead of Jérémie Beyou (Charal).
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