Vendée Globe

Raphaël Dinelli continues to pay the price for a long tack right in the centre of the high pressure. He has been heading towards Spain and the town of Gijon the whole night on the edge of the ridge of high pressure, incapable of making a direct course. Reaching the latitude of the island of Oleron, he had to tack again to head off to the NE on starboard tack. The more established 15 knots wind eased as soon as Raphaël climbed North, and this is likely to remain the scenario he has to toy with till the finish. The centre of the high pressure is in fact stationary and Dinelli is being saved by his patience and courage. The only small consolation is that the residual seas are flattening out and enabling Akena Verandas a better glide.

Karen Leibovici is continuing a long reach on starboard tack towards the Bay of Biscay. She has reached the latitude of Cape Finisterre and is sailing 290 miles to the West of the famous headland. The unsettled conditions are currently set to accompany her as far as the ridge which is torturing Raphaël Dinelli right now. By approaching it from the South, Karen should be able to deal with it fairly easily with a single tack. The wind will ease off on the approach to the French coast. Still penalised by the lack of solidity in her emergency pilot, will have to try and save her energy today so as to be able to helm and keep up a good pace over the last few miles to the finish. Les Sables d’Olonne is expecting to welcome Karen and Raphaël on Saturday and Sunday. Translation Kate Jennings

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