Vendée Globe

British skipper Conrad Humphreys (Hellomoto) took back his advantage last night in his duel with the Dunkirk skipper Joé Seeten. He has a 16.5 mile lead this morning in his bid for seventh place in the general ranking in the Vendée Globe 2004/2005. The duo are less than 800 miles from Les Sables d’Olonne with two bubbles of high pressure strewn across the path to the finish. After 100 days at sea, the menu is far from ideal for either the tired skippers or the machines: upwind in messy seas with a light to moderate headwind. Given the conditions, the intrigue in the Bay of Biscay is likely to last until Saturday.

American Bruce Schwab (Ocean Planet) is passing within 168 miles to the West of the Canaries, making up to ten knots of boat speed along the Eastern edge of a small depression. Clearly his audacious bet of yesterday seems to be working well as he is in downwind conditions on a direct course! His future game plan is to find some more stable Easterly winds level with Madeira. Benoit Parnaudeau (Max Havelaar-Best Western) is hanging onto his 300 mile lead over Anne Liardet (Roxy). The two competitors are racing close-hauled up the North Atlantic, much to the great displeasure of Benoît who is cursing the Azores High responsible for the uncomfortable conditions. Raphaël Dinelli is passing off Recife in the North of Brazil. The equator is just 520 miles ahead of his Akena Verandas while behind him Karen Leibovici (Benefic) is continuing on a course giving her a negative VMG. She has wisely decided to make an ESE heading to escape the vast lines of squalls making any headway North erratic and dangerous. Karen is making around 9 knots and will try to pass to the East of this stormy magma. Translation Kate Jennings

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