Vendée Globe

As the leaders make their approach to the first gate Seb Josse has seen his lead cut to 22 miles by Yann Eliès, both on port gybe and lining up to pass from the north

 Seb has been on port for about four hours and BT has about 110 miles to run to pass through the required gate.

 Jean-Pierre Dick continues to be fast in the south of the pack, though he has slowed slightly, but Paprec-Virbac was the only boat to break a 400 miles day on the early poll this morning. Dick has gained 15 miles since last night and nine since the 0400hrs report.

Loick Peyron has made 17 miles on Josse since 0400hrs in fourth and is 19 miles behind Dick, polled as the quickest of the top five on the most recent position report.

While Jean Le Cam, to the also south with the group comprising Dick, Peyron and Vincent Riou has also gained, passing Armel le Cléac’h, but the steady ascent of Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) up the ranking continues as he moves into the Top 10, passing Marc Guillemot (Safran) for tenth and almost exactly 100 miles to Mike Golding, GBR, in ninth. Golding has 20 miles to make up to catch Le Cléac’h.

Sam Davies, GBR, (Roxy) has been in the calm before the storm, trapped under a dark cloud last night which left her gybing around trying to escape any way she could.

The leaders report the departure of the cold front and have seen much less wind this morning, confused left over seas but they await with some anticipation, the first Southern Ocean gales which will catch the likes of Sam Davies, Dee Caffari, and then move through rapidly to the front of the fleet. Winds will build to 35-40 knots before peaking for the leaders tomorrow evening and into Friday with strong gusts to 55 and 60 knots, producing big seas. The depression, which formed off the Brazilian coast, will progressively combine with another small system lurking in the south.

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