Leader Michel Desjoyeaux’s track is now near due east, 87 degrees, and we can expect Foncia’s course bearing to become more and more northerly from tomorrow — the first boat is about to cross back into the Atlantic.
Meteo France forecasts predict a northerly at Cape Horn wind set to ease and backing westerly 20-25 knots this evening, and Mich’s speed is dropping relative to Roland Jourdain’s (Veolia Environment) in this evening’s updates. It is fourth-placed Vincent Riou (PRB) who is currently showing the fastest boatspeed, closely shadowed by his partner Armel Le Cléac’h on Brit Air. A low is rapidly moving towards Cape Horn and is likely to affect these two boats on Tuesday.
After a fast and furious couple of days, Sam Davies’ pace on Roxy (GBR) seems to have moderated in sixth place, while Safran’s boatspeed has picked up again after a lull this afternoon – Marc Guillemot may possibly still be experiencing difficulties with his mainsail.
Behind these two Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar, GBR) in eighth is experiencing pleasant, moderate sailing conditions in an isolated weather system. Brian reported tonight: At present I am playing with a little low pressure system that is just in front of me, it has been forcing my route for the last couple of days and giving quite changeable conditions. It was always going to be a feature between the final two ice gates, and it is slowing me relative to Sam and Dee. Sam should have northerlies all the way to the final gate, and I will have a period of southerlies and then a long run in westerlies. Running is not this boat’s strong point and will add distance, so Sam should be well ahead at Cape Horn.”
Despite the additional mileage — some 1,500 miles — created by the ice gates in this edition of the Vendée Globe, at this stage the pattern of the race is not actually wildly different to the last one:
• On Monday 3rd January 2005, at 06h15, race leader Jean Le Cam rounded Cape Horn after 56 days, 17h and 13 minutes. 15h30 minutes later, he was followed by Vincent Riou.
• On Tuesday 4th January 2005 Mike Golding became the third competitor to pass the tip of South America.
• Wednesday 5th January 2005: Karen Leibovici enters the Pacific, an ocean behind the leaders.
• On Thursday 6th January 2005, after his amazing rudder repairs off South Africa, Conrad Humphreys continues to achieve some remarkable speeds in the Pacific, but has to climb his mast to repair a worn halyard.
• Friday 7th January 2005: The ill-fated Jean-Pierre Dick breaks his boom approaching the Horn.
• Saturday 8th January 2005 Patrice Carpentier retires from the race after stopping in New Zealand.
Michel Desjoyeaux will prefer to look back to 2001, when he was the first boat to round the third and final Cape, and the first boat home to Les Sables.
