It is going to be cloudy today, but temperatures remain mild and it is not likely to be very wet, as we are still under the influence of a low-pressure area centred over France. However, this will be weakening and give way to a shallow low with very few isobars. The wind will be moderate with a north-westerly flow this morning, gradually backing south-westerly and dropping to under ten knots. Tonight a front will be moving in from the ocean bringing rain across Vendée, but this will soon clear and a mild, moderate westerly stream is expected tomorrow. Saturday looks variable, while there are still uncertainties about Sunday: the south-westerly wind will be above twenty knots, veering westerly in the Bay of Biscay, but when they reach Cape Finisterre, the fleet is likely to come to a standstill… High pressure is building over Spain leading to the disappearance of the wind at least on Monday.

Tide times
Thursday 6th November: coefficient 32 - 32
High tide: 10h21 – 23h29
Low tide: 3h40 – 16h19
Friday 7th November: coefficient 34
High tide: 11h43
Low tide: 4h55 – 17h35

Rich Wilson is the oldest competitor in this sixth Vendée Globe and his boat\'s name expresses this long history of sailing: «It\'s not because I am great or American! The first Great American capsized at the Horn during the San Francisco-Boston record; the second followed the route taken by the clippers. The third is about to be sailed around the world by a solo sailor…»

Extracts from Jean-Pierre Dick's press conference (Paprec-Virbac 2) :

«The weather looks being rough from the start. There's going to be a westerly airflow with 20-25 knot winds in the afternoon, gusting to 35-40 knots on the first night. We'll be setting out tacking upwind. Upwind sailing can sometimes be more relaxing than downwind sailing. However, if we need to carry out regular sail changes, it can soon become physically demanding.»

«Spending three months at sea is a unique and enriching experience. It's a privilege to go through this, not a burden.»

«I think my boat is well-suited to a range of conditions. She is not the fastest in every point of sail, but not the slowest either. Upwind in a breeze suits her well. But I think all of the boats are similar in terms of performance. It is the sailor, who will make all the difference. Firstly depending on his motivation, but also on his ability to keep a cool head.»

«Four years ago, I used up all my energy within a week of the start. I have learnt now to control myself, to manage my efforts and not to overextend myself.»

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!»