Guillemot, still racing with three reefs in due to his damaged mast track, was making 16.4 knots while Sam Davies, now 110 miles after the Horn has slowed temporarily back to 4.4 knots.

At the front Mich Desj is now a round 250 miles ahead of Roland Jourdain, although the separation has increased as Bilou heads more directly north towards the Brasilian coast.

But Foncia is still consistently over a knot quicker as the pair start to feel the effects of the low pressure system which is being generated in front of them.

Behind them, just under 500 miles behind Veolia Environnement, Armel Le Cléac’h slows as he starts to reach the high pressure system which the leaders have pretty much left behind now.

Dee Caffari is marching on nicely at 14.8 knots and may have to live with being slower than Arnaud Boissieres meantime.

Rich Wilson has covered more than 120 miles since he passed the penultimate ice gate early this morning and is doing a steady 10 knots.