Vendée Globe

With Bonduelle tied to the dock, Ecover has just 79.7 miles to sail but will not have the most favourable of days to race to the finish. The forecasters suggest the breeze will breeze head him a little and so Mike is expected to have to tack a bit. Ecover is now due between 1600hrs and 1900hrs GMT.

VMI and Temenos remain locked together with well under 1000 miles to go now, still, just 8.3 miles apart now but enjoying a decent breeze. They will have a tougher time for a while on Sunday as they encounter a front which will see the winds rise to northerly 25-30knots but with a big, long swell it will feel much more wintry and cold for their upwind slog towards Finisterre and the Bay of Biscay. For Virbac, sailing in good E’ly trade winds Jean Pierre Dick is enjoying quick progress north. Arcelor and Hellomoto should cross the doldrums within the next 24 hours. The doldrums are relatively narrow at the moment, but quite disturbed and active, meaning lots of little squalls, but most of them coming to nothing too much, but they should be able to make good speed through this zone, slowing only a little, but it will be interesting to see how much the two close and if Conrad can get past Joe as they squeeze up. Conrad is just 35.1 miles behind Joe, improving from 59.2 miles last night. Ocean Planet is enjoying some champagne sailing as Bruce heads quickly north in the sustained south easterly trade winds conditions, without too much change in the wind direction as he heads northwards for the moment. Max Havelaar is set to spend most of the day close reaching but the wind will lift and drop to about 5-10knots

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