Vendée Globe

The speed tables alone show that the gaps are widening between the leaders and the groups of different boats in pursuit as the leaders still hold on to a decent westerly breeze. As Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) leads now by 35 miles from Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement).

Sébastien Josse (BT) has relinquished his longstanding place among the top three with his northerly routing, electing to pass to the north of the Prince Edward islands, saying this afternoon that his strategy sees him balance prudence against the ‘high risk’ sailing in ice territory, perhaps with memories of his collision with an ice floe during the last race, influencing his choice of course. 

“ Strategically the end of the depression we're riding now is good for the front of the fleet but the next low pressure system will help the others come back and we won't really see the leading pack make a massive breakthrough and create a huge gap.   I don't want to go further south because of the risk of ice - the water temperature is only 5 degrees." Josse said in his daily report this afternoon.

The speed differential between the following groups and the leaders has been noticeable. Skippers like the Austrian Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch) in 24^th, and even Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos II) - reported slow progress at the back and in the middle of the fleet respectively. Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) in 10^th was averaging just 6 knots between the rankings at 10h and 15h GMT/UTC, while Jourdain in second has been sailing at more than 15 knots.

Mike Golding, lying fifth, like JP Dick today reported a rough Sunday afternoon. With winds gusting to 45 knots and big confused seas kicked up by the Continental Shelf, Golding said this morning that he had been on the edge of control at times and that his autopilots had struggled to steer at times in the difficult conditions:  

" I couldn’t even steer the boat in a straight line, it was a bit out of control. I got the feeling I was trying a bit too hard. I was doing what the boat was saying. It was all over the place. Maybe every one was having the same problem there. I was rebooting the pilots, I was deep the menus of the auto pilot. It was almost overdoing it. It wasn’t very pleasant, actually.    Now it’s moderated, I was pretty exhausted by the end of it because I’ve been working on it pretty much most of the night and not really getting anywhere. Probably around 02:30 I crashed for 2 hours and probably missed the poll (position report). When i woke i knew the poll had come in I didn’t even bother looking, the boat is still alright. So, I went back to sleep and I probably slept for too long. Probably lost a bit on this next schedule . But there you go, it comes and goes" 
 
"I think reality is that if you can stay here you can be very happy with it, arriving at cape horn in a similar position."
 
" It’s moderating now, 18 knots still a big sea way, and it’s improving. I’m waiting for the breeze, i have just changed up to a reacher i am trying to make some gains out of my sleep.  Now you wake up you think you have fallen behind and run a heavy sail programme and push it   trying to make something back on the next poll."
 
" We have got another strong weather coming, not very strong. The Southern Ocean is relatively benign. But the weather is relatively benign  compared to previous races. We are not really picking up a system and running with it for any real length of time . In previous Vendee’s we’ve done it in 2 or 4 systems of the whole Southern Ocean stretch. But theses are little bits of systems there is a big one coming in now but. we are only catching the top of it - another batch of north-westerlies so will probably pay to be south
 I am quite surprised that the entire spread of the fleet is so small front to back .  The front of the fleet is being forever held up. The back of the fleet has been able to back up. Whether that continues is anyone’s guess.”

 “ Brian (Thompson) is clearly still in the play, I was talking to Dee few days ago. She is less distance from the front that I was in the last Vendee at the same point and I lead up the Atlantic so they just have to keep going. I think the person who is sailing extraordinarily well is Steve White he’s done an amazing job with that boat.”

Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport-Kapsch), who retired from the 03-04 race four years ago tomorrow: “ After the video transmission worked so well today, I was really motivated and just went for it: I have sealed the deck house, checked the tension in the the steering lines and the drive belt, sealed the hatch at the front, tidied the cockpit, Sliced some bread, processed photos and video clips…It is simply unbelievable how sensitive I am now, after just four weeks. On the one hand I have tears in my eyes when I read that Unai had dropped out.  Yet, I know only too well how he must be feeling. There are still 590 nm to the first gate, roughly 1300 nm to the Cape of Good Hope.  That should mean a reason to celebrate next weekend – big time!Now I have the winter things on as well, as my ears were cold for the first time today.”

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