Vendée Globe

Persistent Loïck Peyron passes into his second week at the head of the Vendée Globe pack, while the recovery of the only skipper to have broken the Gitana Eighty monopoly during that period, Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux), continues to scale back up the fleet, gaining two places this morning settling in eighth place at the moment.

Forecasters say that the westernmost boats of this pack will be feeling the remnants of the Doldrums for longer, some squalls, big gusts and sudden drops in pressure. The leading Open 60's should cross the Equator tonight, reaching the more sold tradewinds - 12-15 knots and more swell - as the day progresses.

The lead of Gitana Eighty, which is making 11 knots this morning, remains at just under 20 miles this morning as speeds among the leading group even out, well into double figures. The leaders are on the wind now which may start to benefit the latest generation of more powerful boats.

Ten miles or so behind Vincent Riou (PRB) stil maintains third place, gaining a two miles on Jean Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) who is still more to the west of the 2004 winner.

Le Cam’s is sailing higher and making a more easterly course again, 20 degrees higher and still going slower than the main pack to leeward and south west of him.

Otherwise the pattern is very much established among the top seven for the moment. And there is just seven miles between seventh placed Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) and Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) in tenth.

About 100 miles further back Dominiqe Wavre, SUI, (Temenos II) has eased another four miles on the pursuing Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) who is 12th to Wavre’s 10th, while Sam Davies, GBR, on Roxy is just hanging in six miles behind. Wavre is the fastest of the top 20 boats this morning, and forecasters are predicting a fairly straightforward, relatively quick crossing of the Doldrums for this trio.

Mich Desj (Foncia) is now 10.7 miles behind Dee Caffari, averaging just about one knot quicker over this most recent poll. Foncia is 16th and Caffari 15th.
 

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