Vendée Globe

A naturally occurring period of respite, recuperation and repair visits the leading pack in the Vendée Globe now.

After a frenetic, and at times difficult six days, a ridge of high pressure producing lighter winds has eased back the pace to 10-11 knots boatspeed, and most of the leading skippers have taken time to recover their energies, and make good any repairs outstanding.

While the young guns in pursuit had been, at best, offering their respect to the experienced pace-makers Peyron and Le Cam, at worst expressing their concerns that the pace was feeling too much, the lighter winds have allowed a certain status quo to descend temporarily. 

Since Vincent Riou (PRB), the 2004 winner, propelled himself back into the Top 5 overnight, the leading five places have remained settled. Riou said today that he had found better downwind speed from his Farr design in these lighter conditions, moving away from Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) who is now 14.9 miles behind him in 7^th.

Peyron was typically sanguine on today’s radio reports, admitting he had been taking time to clean himself up and shave on deck, before the live call from Race HQ beside Paris’ Montparnasse Tower.

“It is getting warmer and I am preparing clothes for warmer weather. Conditions are calmer. I have a rig and mast check to do.” Peyron – who was second in the first ever race - said, confirming he has giving Gitana Eighty a thorough inspection,

“ I am now getting into a good rhythm.   We have 9-10 knots of wind and it looks set to last, and the others look like being in a similar situation, so I am quite happy where I am.”

But the conditions ahead are not straightforward and the leaders are now heading due south, converging back towards the rhumb line, with Le Cam still the most easterly positioned.

Lying in ninth place Briton Mike Golding (Ecover 3) continues his advance as the breeze slackens off, making two miles on eighth placed Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement). Golding is now 77 miles behind Peyron and five miles behind regular rival Jourdain.

The young British pair Jonny Malbon (Artemis) and Steve White (Toe in the Water) are both making good speed past the Canary Islands. Malbon had to cut short his radio broadcast today to deal with a 30 knots gust as he passed between Tenerife and Grand Canaria.

American Rich Wilson’s back is still troubling him and impairing his movement around Great American III.

“ It is pretty painful still. I have had multiple conversations with our emergency medicine doctors back in Boston and also an  e-mail exchange with Dr Chauve (race doctor) and I think that the consensus with Dr Weinwalt in Boston is that in all likelihood I have cracked a rib, and I have a pretty sharp pain on one side and so that is making the sail changes a little painful, needless to say. I did just have an e-mail from a friend who came to Les Sables d’Olonne to see the start and he told me that the Marine Corps have a saying that pain is weakness leaving the body, and so I am thinking about that.” Rich Wilson

Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre (Temenos II) has held pace exactly with the leaders today, lying in 14^th place, while compatriot Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) left Cape Finisterre behind today, after restarting early Friday morning. Stamm said:

“Things haven't gone as we planned. That's the way it is. I'm going to continue to make the best headway I can, grabbing any opportunities that may present themselves. Of course, it's not the race I was looking forward to.  I don't have the same conditions as the others.  It's a different race. All I can do for now is to try to get going as quickly as possible, without even thinking of catching up the others.  There's a long way to go.  We shall have to wait and see what happens. I'm just concentrating on Cheminées Poujoulat's speed”

Behind him is Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada), who expressed mixed emotions today, relieved to have started again, but clearly still coming to grips with the magnitude of the task that faces him.

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