Vendée Globe

Showing resolute confidence in his boat, his preparations and himself, like a metronome, Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) has been setting the pace over the last three days, since he overtook Sébastien Josse (BT).

With his regular position to the south, the sailor from Nice seems to be benefiting from calmer seas, as his Farr design clocked up the greatest distance over 24h on Friday evening (448.5 miles). 

Based on the 11h rankings each day, out of the 32 days of the race, " JP "has been on the top spot for five days, behind Loïck Peyron (16 days in total) and Sébastien Josse (9 days altogether), but ahead of  Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) and Yann Eliès (Generali) in the lead for one day each.

His success to date is not exactly a revelation.  After a 2004 Vendée Globe on the fleet’s first Farr boat (now Cheminées Poujoulat), when he finished sixth in Les Sables d'Olonne, the former Vet and company boss has adopted a considered, scientific approach to his preparation.  His route has been based on expanding his knowledge across all aspects with a wide reaching and comprehensive research and development programme, marking out the meticulous campaign. His Paprec-Virbac 2 is from the new generation, but is the boat that has sailed the greatest number of miles since her launch in New Zealand in February 2007: a delivery trip via the Horn, then a win in the two-handed round the world race (Barcelona World Race)… With such preparation and miles behind him, it is no surprise that the ‘Southerner’ has no doubts about his boat's ability and resilience.

Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) continues to match Dick, setting the same 24h VMG average, 17.7 knots, while this morning Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) – 62.9 miles behind Dick -  has started to accelerate more and is second quickest behind the redoubtable Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement). Golding the most southerly routing, just below that of Jourdain.

With his position in the south Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Cheminées Poujoulat) has moved six miles ahead of Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) who is on a route 255 miles to his north. Thompson will have lost some small miles as he angled north but the pair are on converging gybes now, with Thompson lining up to close the Kerguelens.

At 0600hrs GMT Dominique Wavre was about 30 miles to the SW of the haven of the Bay of Morbihan on the east coast of the Kerguelen Islands. He has reported that Temenos II has remained stable with the ballast tanks full. His team and the Race Direction have been in contact with the base on the Kerguelens and they are standing by.

Wavre is understood to have been in contact with Jourdain who has been forced to stop there several times before. 

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