Vendée Globe

Seven days into the sixth Vendée Globe and there has been a small break. Heading for the Cape Verde islands 230 miles to the south, Gitana Eighty leads by 22.5 miles, gaining an additional eight miles during the night over VM Materiaux. BT remains third, 30.5 miles behind.

The leading trio Gitana Eighty, have advanced an additional 20 miles overnight over Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) in fourth place. The gap between Paprec-Virbac 2 and Peyron’s Gitana Eighty is now more than 60 miles.

Dick, winner of the Barcelona Race with Damian Foxall, and the second wave of skippers, may have worries about this scenario, where the three frontrunners leave them standing and continue to compete against each other in a private battle.  It is certainly not yet the case, but there is the possibility. 

Equally, thought, if the trade winds die away there is the possibility that those to the west, Vincent Riou (PRB), Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) and Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) could gain an advantage as the easterly wind fades.

For Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) in ninth, losses overnight are very much in keeping with the breezes he had, but a small gain to 10^th placed Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) does not amount to much. More concerning will be the possibility of the break at the front increasing. Golding took the opportunity during a quieter spell to do some essential remedial work.

Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) made a gain of two places making a better route  past the Canary Islands passing both Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) and Raphael Dinelli, (Fondation Océan Vital).

Dinelli sailed west of the Canaries, while Wilson and Basurka bith chose to pass between Grand Canaria and Fuerteventura, Great American III close to Grand Canaria’s east shore, Basurka paralleled close to the west coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Great  American III is now 19^th.

Some have at least the consolation that they avoided the trap that closed the door on Marc Guillemot (Safran) and to a lesser extent on Dee Caffari (Aviva), who both suffered in the disturbed winds around the Canaries, although fifty miles to their west. 

The skipper of Safran certainly paid the price, as he is back in 15th place, 272 miles from the race leader.

Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia has one of the best reasons to smile this morning.  640 miles from the leader, he is advancing at 13.9 knots, by far the fastest boat in the fleet .  Meanwhile Derek Hatfield on Algimouss – Spirit of Canada is unlikely to be wearing such a wide grin, struggling in calms off Galicia averaging less than 3 knots during the night. Neither will Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Cheminées Pouljoulat) be happy with his slow speeds down the Portuguese coast.

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