Vendée Globe

Jean Le Cam’s direct Cape Verde strategy has paid off for the moment and he leads the Vendée Globe by 1.6 miles from the consistent threat of Seb Josse (BT). Gitanan Eighty lies third.

Le Cam had yet to reveal which passage he will take past Santiago island, but his speed gains overnight in better breeze were significant. Managing the significant wind shadows and disturbances is key to the short term game, but the western pack were making gains overnight too.

The crucial Cape Verde strategies among the top five boats have yet to really play out and provide their net result, but Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) became this Vendée Globe’s sixth skipper to lead the race when he eased ahead during the passage through the Cape Verde Islands.

Le Cam’s direct route choice, some 80 miles to west of Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) - who had lead since Thursday morning – seems to have paid off.
Gitana Eighty made two sharp turns last night to pass to the west of the island of Sao Nicolau, while Seb Josse (BT) remains a steady second. Gitana Eighty is third 9.3 miles behind.
In their east Le Cam has made better speeds overnight, more than three knots better than Peyron’s net average. Le Cam was heading directly for Santiago this morning and may pass between that island and Fogo, to the west.

Some eighty miles to their west Vincent Riou (PRB), the 2004 winner, and Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac) lead the pack which have chosen to go to the west of the island group. Dick is some 87 miles behind the leader but gained about 17 miles on the lead overnight, and this pack – Riou, Dick and Le Cléac’h – all posted good average speeds overnight and looked to have good winds.

Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) gained two places overnight, overturning the advantages of Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) and Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement.) to lie eighth. His compatriot Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar), gained from his westerly move yesterday, and cut about 20 miles from his deficit to the leader, lying 11th.

After re-starting yesterday evening, the last skipper to do so before the line closes Wednesday, Jean Baptiste Dejeanty had a steady first 12 hours on the race course, posting 10 knot averages as he heads across the Bay of Biscay.

Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) has picked up a little speed now but has had a tough weekend in very light winds, battling down the the north of Spain and along the Portuguese coast. He made an average of just 5 knots overnight, while Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Cheminees Poujoulat) - who is one place ahead of him - has been one of the quickest in th fleet, matching the pace of Le Cam - heading just west of south, level with Gibraltar.
 

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