Desjoyeaux is skirting the Azores High pressure system out in the middle of the North Atlantic, NWW of the Canary Islands. His is making just six knots this evening while Roland Jourdain in second makes over 15.

Thompson and Caffari have hit a sticky patch with Dee just 65 miles behind Bahrain Team Pindar, but making just 3.9 knots. They are now feeling just a small measure of the pain that their compatriot Sam Davies has had this past week. Sam is just 365 miles ahead of Aviva, but has been moving better again these last 24 hours.

Sam will not be looking back just now, even though there is the prospect of a good race developing between the three British boats. She has always been quietly confident about her position against Marc Guillemot. The Safran skipper’s gains in close to the coast of Brasil, dodging fishing boats and their long lines, were impressive while they lasted and certainly highly labour intensive for Guillemot. He admitted today that he had made two gybes to avoid lines, and was guided through one area by fishermen, which probably saved him a couple more.

But Guillemot’s move away from the coast has been expensive. Davies has re-gained 99 miles since the same time last night on Safran, and is now just 46 miles behind. Meantime Sam’s passage northwards to the Doldrums, some 800 miles or so north, looks relatively straightforward and she might expect to make more miles back on Safran who needs to keep taking easting to get the best from the trade winds just now.

Trying to escape the top edge of the high pressure ridge, Thompson’s pain should be short lived, while Caffari, behind and to the east, faces a less easy time of it.

After his gains against Arnaud Boissières, Steve White is not able to pace Akena Verandas at the moment, now 718 miles behind.