Vendée Globe Race - Conrad Colman - Life onboard MS Amlin : Day 73 & 74
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 23 Jan 12:25 NZDT
23 January 2025
Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) looking for the Equator - day 74 - Vendée Globe - January 22, 2025 © Conrad Colman
Although he has dropped a place in the last 48hrs, Conrad Colman (NZL) appears to have exited the Doldrums and is making the best speed of the group of seven competitors covered by a 200nm span ahead of him in the Vendee Globe singlehanded, non-stop round the world race.
Sailing MS Amline (backed by a multi-national insurer) Colman has turned the corner of the horn of Brazil and is off Fortaleza, better known as a turning point in earlier editions of the Volvo Ocean Race.
In his video report Colman hams it up, rueful that he has missed seeing the Equator again - he's on his fourth round the world race, and has not yet seen the Black Equator Line yet on the Atlantic :-).
48hrs ago his routing showed that he was about to get into stronger winds, of around 12kts - and that has proved to be the case and Colman's routing shows he will stay in double digit winds until the finish at Les Sables-d'Olonne until he finishes around February 5. The wind direction doesn't shift SE for another five days, but in the meantime they are from 060° at 15-20kts - so there shouldn't be any complaints on that front.
While he does plug his coffee supplier in the video, he does show how a coffee is made with difficulty in the zero-fossil fuel single-hander.
The leading daggerboarder is still Benjamin Ferré (FRA) who is holding 17th place on the water less than 20nm ahead of Tanguy Le Turquais.
His support team reports - Day 74: ‘So far, so good for the passage through the Doldrums! I'm waiting for the wind to shift from south-east to east and then I'll know that I've entered the inter-tropical convergence zone.’ A key passage, which the sailor hopes will be ‘without too many disturbances’.
And what better way to celebrate the equator than with a good cup of coffee? Please note, it's not just any coffee! The one from Café d’Oriant, elected by our crazy Kiwi as the ‘best roasted coffee in Lorient, Brittany, and probably even France!’
His report from the previous day - Day 73: The programme for the next few hours aboard MS Amlin: a few (big) dark clouds sudden changes in speed, endless variations in the wind - a lot of concentration and probably a lot of cups of coffee to have enough energy to get through this new phase without a hitch.
We're talking about the sailor's energy here, because as far as onboard energy is concerned, it's a real success! The hydro-generators and solar panels are 100% approved
In short: welcome (back) to the Doldrums Conrad!
Day 73 video report:
Sail-World's latest daily report on the whole Vendee Globe race positions:
Zero Fossil Fuels: As well as competing in the 24,400nm non-stop solo around the world race, Colman is attempting to compete in the race carrying the same 20litre of fuel at the end of the race, that he was required to carry at the start.
His boat has been modified for solar and other electricity generation - which so far are generating almost double his daily power requirements.
He has been the most prolific posters of video, including drone footage - and his contributions have been one of the outstanding features of the race.
Social medias:
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@colmanoceanracing/videos
Facebook : conradcolmanoceanracing
Instagram : conradcolman