Vendée Globe

4,000 miles… and different worlds apart. The lead duo have been slowed by a high, the hunters behind are flying along at Mach 10, some skippers are preparing for Christmas, and others preparing for an unseasonal battering by another low pressure system and confused sea states.

Honours for the fastest boat on the course have transferred from Mich Desj’s Foncia to Armel Le Cléac’h on Brit Air, putting 440.5 miles under the keel in the past 24 hours. News from Armel and other French skippers in today’s live radio broadcast…
-3rd Sébastien Josse (BT): “A low is forming near the gate, so we could close the gap on Michel (Desjoyeaux) and Bilou (Roland Jourdain). We've blue skies and sunshine, so it's not as grey as it was.  I've just found the Christmas sack. I've put up some decorations and have a little tree.  In fact, I'll be having two Christmases as I cross the date line.  It's not going to be easy to open the presents in 40-knot winds.  Tomorrow we'll be getting a  40-knot SW'ly gusting to 50.  There are always a lot of noises?  If there's one I don't recognise, I check it out."
-5th Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air): “The seas weren't too bad yesterday and we got some good speeds, but the gusts got up during the night, so I eased off. I'd hoped to be within a day of the leader at the Horn.  I may have to put my foot down.  I've done half of the course with Vincent (Riou), as we're following the same trajectory.  We must have the same ideas about strategy and pace.  It's good to be near someone else for safety reasons, particularly in the Pacific.  I don't know who asked for a deep low for Christmas.  It wasn't what I was hoping for.  We'll be celebrating anyway tomorrow evening.”
-6th Vincent Riou (PRB):  "I'm now over the continental shelf, meaning rougher, confused  seas in 30-knot winds and 16 knots of boat speed. Gains should continue for the moment so I'll be closing the gap for a few more hours.  I'm often close to Armel, but I hadn't really noticed.  He's choosing a similar route and pace, so we've often crossed paths since we were off Spain.  There were very few long-term strategy possibilities in the Atlantic and in the South with the need to pass the ice gates, and we all have weather for 4-5 days so everyone knows where to go, so there are few strategic choices.  Maybe we'll be celebrating Christmas Eve together."
-17th Raphaël Dinelli (Fondation Océan Vital): “We have calm seas today.  I'm taking advantage as two lows are moving in for Christmas.  I've managed to get around the Kerguelens. I contacted the fishing boats in the area, as I didn't want to get caught in their nets.  I've had a lot of krill on the deck.  I managed too to check over the boat.  There are always surprises down here.  To the south of Madagascar, it can be calm and then within 48 hours there's a huge storm.  There are often cross seas and it's taking me a long time, because of my damage. I really need to repair my mainsail halyard.”
 

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