Vendée Globe

As quickly as Loick Peyron’s dividend arrived, it is cut as Gitana Eighty is slowed, the only boat of the top 20 to be reduced to a single digit speed in an sea area renowned for its strong winds and hostile conditions.

Peyron has seen his 44.9 miles lead shrunk to less than 20 miles as he slows to all but stop – making just 4.5 knots between the two rankings. Teetering on a tight rope, a narrow band of wind at the edge of the high pressure system, conditions are deeply frustrating for the leaders.
The squeeze box compresses again. Solid Seb Josse resolutely sticking in second making 13.3 knots on BT on the 1hr speed gun, the best of the top 5 and now 90 miles SW of Peyron who gybed SE this morning.
Mike Golding’s dive south, which he expressed reservations about this morning, seems to have been a decent option as he rises again to seventh, with Jourdain and Le Cam less than seven miles behind in DTF. Bisecting their wakes, only about 40 miles behind them is now Michel Desjoyeaux. With the next system bringing the new strong 30 knot NW’lies down from the NW, then the first to feel the benefit is Brian Thompson on Bahrain Team Pindar who is making close to 16 knots diving south west, as is Wavre and of course Mich Desj will accelerate and should gain in Le Cam and Jourdain who are running the same lane as Foncia.
The pace of this race is one exciting facet and we have noted again tonight how often the lead has changed. But also, here are 2004’s regular front runners – Riou, Le Cam and Bilou – scrapping it out tonight no more than ten miles apart.
 

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