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Conrad Colman is on the verge of becoming the first Kiwi to complete the Vendee Globe, one of the world’s most demanding yacht races.
(Photo: Conrad Colman / Foresight Natural Energy)
He set off with 28 others on their solo round-the-world race 88 days ago and is expected to cross the finish line at the French town of Les Sable d’Olonne on February 12 or 13. Seven boats have already finished, with France’s Armel Le Cleac’h narrowly beating home Englishman Alex Thomson.
It has not been an easy race for Colman, who has broken three sails and also saw his forestay break in 60 knots of wind in the Southern Ocean (he feared it would see his rig come down and force his abandonment of the race). He’s down to his last set of sails onboard Foresight Natural Energy and also had a fire when a solar panel short-circuited but is still sitting inside the top 10 on his 2005 generation IMOCA 60.
“Despite all those crazy adventures, I’m happy to still be in the race,” he said.
“That’s why it’s a bit insane because it’s a 60ft boat with one guy on it going non-stop and we push quite hard. It’s absolutely an adventure. We started with 29 boats and 18 are still racing or going to finish. There’s an enormous attrition and even the best-prepared boats don’t know if they’re going to make it around. It’s a mix between an adventure and a race.”
Colman left New Zealand when aged 15 and this is his third circumnavigation of the globe. He’s already planning his next assault on the Vendee Globe in 2020 when he hopes to have a much more competitive package and finish in the top three.
You can follow Colman’s progress here
(Photo: Conrad Colman / Foresight Natural Energy)
