Sylvain Mondon, the weather expert working alongside Gitana Team, has drawn up some precise forecasts for the start on Sunday at 13h02 (French time): «We're beginning to look more closely at the weather, but between now and Sunday things could still change. For the moment, it looks like being an upwind start in a south-westerly blowing between 20 and 25 knots. Then, the wind is expected to strengthen during the evening reaching an average of 30-35 knots. This disturbed flow will be accompanied by heavy seas, with waves reaching 2 to 3 metres (6 to 9 feet) at the start line. It is going to weed out the men from the boys from the outset!»

Roland Jourdain  spoke this morning during the Vendée Globe radio programme on the website. On Sunday, he will be setting sail on his third Vendée Globe. For Bilou, his first Vendée was "a bit like your first parachute jump, as you don't know what to expect. The second was certainly the most difficult, as you know by then that there are some complicated places and rather like a horse refusing to jump, you turn away from the obstacles rather than confront them. For your third attempt, either you're completely off your head or you love it. Personally, I think I love it..."

Marc Thiercelin still has his sense of humour, as we saw when he was presenting his DCNS monohull. «I may be old, but I'm brand new! It is true that I haven't sailed an IMOCA monohull since the 2005 Transat Jacques Vabre, but since the boat was launched in late May, I have done two transatlantic races… I'm back with a brand new boat, which is light and fast. There are twice as many competitors this time as for my first Vendée Globe in 1996, but at that time I had only sailed onboard her for ten days… While everything has made giant leaps forward, the Vendée Globe still remains a great adventure!»

The highlights of Yann Eliès's press conference (Generali) this morning in the Vendée Globe village….

Talking about the performance of the boats: «We have all spent three million euros on our boats and after all that, we end up with something like the Figaros! We all have fabulous machines, which all more or less go the same speed.»

Talking about his first Vendée Globe: «The first for me will be to finish the race. For the moment, we're in the final stages, the last kisses for my children, the last time I lock my front door… When the final spectator boat disappears from view, we'll be at the bottom of the mountain with our back-pack and pick.»

Finding the right pace and in my own world: «How do I see the start of the race? I go aboard my boat, close the doors and am off into my own little world. I'm going to try to do my race without paying attention to what is happening around me. I want to find my own pace and don't want to get carried away by the antics of the hotheads setting off at full throttle, who could see things all come to an end in a few days.»

Still on the pace: «I cannot claim to be going at the same pace as Michel Desjoyeaux, as I don't have his experience. The important thing for me is to be at one with myself and the boat.»

Talking about the food on board: «Pleasure should not consider weight, and food is one of the rare pleasures you can have on board.»

"There are around twenty of us in with a chance of winning. We know what we are doing and we have the boats that it takes. Having said that, some of us should be feared more than others..."

What do you think are the toughest parts of the voyage?

«To begin with, the start, not because of all the accompanying boats, as I know the organisers will take good care of that, but because of the fact that where you are positioned at the start can well determine the rest of the race. After that, there are the Doldrums, which are tricky, but the worst part is facing the aggressive conditions in the south."

During Marc Thiercelin's press conference, DCNS announced the name of the winner of their talent contest: Christopher Pratt. «For ten months, we have been through a long selection progress with Romain Attanasio. I'm pleased to be learning alongside Marc, as after his Vendée Globe, he will be my tutor for two years before I take part in the 2010 Route du Rhum,» explained the young skipper.