Vendée Globe

Michel Desjoyeaux is just 14 miles off the island of Fernando de Noronha this evening, in possession now of a lead of a round 500 miles.

And the bad news for Roland Jourdain is that he is not slowing down much and the lead of the Foncia skipper looks set to grow more before it stabilises.

In 2001, when he won Desjoyeaux entered the South Atlantic with a lead of some 600 miles and lost it before he had to win it back, this time his margin departing the southern hemisphere could be of the same order.

Sam Davies has slowed and is struggling with light airs, making just 2.1 knots on Roxy, with an average of only 2.8 knots, whilst Armel Le Cléach is not much better in third, making just 7.7 knots.

Steve White’s distance to Cape Horn is now 277 miles and so, averaging just over 12 knots, he should round somewhere between 1400hrs and 1900hrs tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Brian Thompson is starting to press Bahrain Team Pindar in the long Atlantic swells making 15.7 knots, he is joint quickest in the fleet tonight, and should start to open distance on the persistent Arnaud Boissières. Dee Caffari is giving the boys a run for their money despite her ‘mini-mainsail’ making the same speed as Brian.

Rich Wilson has remained between eight and nine knots making steady progress on Great American III, shaving 33 miles off his distance to Cape Horn in the four hours to 1830GMT, while the duelling Sedlacek and Dinelli have just 2.4 miles in it, with the upper hand held by the skipper from Olonnes sur Mer, Dinelli.

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