Vendée Globe

The leaders are making slow but steady progress through the Doldrums and have some more sticky winds to negotiate, but their penance may have been paid by tomight.

After a slow spell before about midnight last night the leading Vendée Globe pack can see light at the end of the tunnel, with another 150 miles or so of light, fickle winds before emerging into more solid breezes.

It has been another hard night’s work, but especially rewarding for Loïck Peyron who has gained some15 miles more on second placed Seb Josse (BT).

Racing side by side for much of yesterday Armel Le Cléach and Jean-Pierre Dick are judged to have exchanged third and fourth. Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) is computed to be third now, but is ten miles to the east of Dick as the pack slants on a south easterly course.

Leader Peyron has taken more than 30 miles of east during the last schedule.

The leaders have made steady progress, but now look to have a period of lighter, unstable winds to break through.

The comeback of Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) continues apace from his western position, and he is now back up to eighth position. He is about 70 miles due west of Mike Golding and made the best average speed and distance overnight, but is still 125 miles off the lead.

Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) had a spell of three gybes during yesterday evening and early in the night and has seen ‘miles to leader’ figure rise slightly, although his speeds have remained consistent.

The chasing pack has slowed a little too but Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos II), Sam Davies, GBR, (ROXY) and Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) are having a good race together with less than 20 miles separating them, Thompson in hot pursuit of his former crew, Davies, who is some 15 miles ahead.

Trying a more daring easterly option Jonny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis II), Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia), and Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) are around 200 miles closer to the African coast.

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