It was back on 15th November when he was sailing off Madeira that he was furthest out of touch with the leader  Loïck Peyron who was already between the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands, with a gap of 671 miles. 
This was because the skipper of Foncia could only make a slow passage in the calmer weather which prevailed across the Bay of Biscay, whilst the leaders had already reached the trade winds.

Michel Desjoyeaux took over the lead on 16th December from Mike Golding when he was dismasted.   While Desjoyeaux  has never relinquished  this position so also Roland Jourdain has remained in second place for this entire period. 
It was not until the 5th January and Cape Horn for the gap to between the two to increase to  more than 100 miles. 
To date the biggest widest gap between the two was just before Michel Desjoyeaux entered the Doldrums on 19th January with a gap of 462 miles. (comparing the 1000hrs rankings, 500.5 miles on 1900hrs ranking 18/01/09)
 Some figures about Michel Desjoyeaux’s race
Les Sables-Equator: 13d 15h 41’ (behind Loïck Peyron : 1d 06h 43’)
Les Sables-Cape of Good Hope: 27d 00h 34’ (behind Sébastien Josse: 4h 56’)
Les Sables-Cape Leeuwin : 37d 07h 23’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 50’)
Les Sables-Int’l Date Line: 43d 23h 33’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 2h 55’)
Les Sables-Cape Horn : 56d 15h 08’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 8h 50’)
Les Sables- Equator : 71d 17h 12’
 
Gap in comparison to the time of the winner of the 2004 Vendée Globe 
Les Sables- Equator  2004 : 10d 12h 13’ (Michel Desjoyeaux slower by: 3d 03h 28’)
Les Sables-Cape of Good Hope 2004 : 24d 02h 18’ (Michel Desjoyeaux slower by : 2d 22h 16’)
Les Sables-Cape Leeuwin 2004 : 36d 11h 48’ (Michel Desjoyeaux slower by : 19h 35’)
Les Sables-Cape Horn 2004 : 56d 17h 13’ (Michel Desjoyeaux quicker by : 2h 05’)
Les Sables- Equator 2004 : 72d 13h 58’ (Michel Desjoyeaux quicker by : 20h 46’)
Les Sables-Les Sables 2004 : 87d 10h 47’ (Michel Desjoyeaux must arrive before 4th February at 23h 55’)