"We have more to lose than to win in the Doldrums.  Everyone will be fighting to try to reduce the risk of getting left behind. The fact that we're all bunched up could limit the danger of seeing huge gaps develop on the way out. But at the same time, we all know that there is something completely random about the Doldrums.  It takes just one calm to find yourself stuck for hours on end, while the others make their getaway. We'll be able to see the first set of results 24 hours from now..."  Armel Le Cléac'h (BritAir)

 

Back in 16th place, 345 miles from Peyron after a great start to the race, Dee Caffari has been reflecting on he performance since the start:
"I started so well and within a week I have lost it so quickly so it’s very frustrating. I started at the top and I suppose there was only one way to go. I really believed at the start that I could do it but as soon as these islands got in the way and they required a long-term strategy. That is where I don’t really have the experience and it shows. I’ve made some silly mistakes in going for short term gain over a long term strategy. Now it’s going to take a long time to catch up but I have the South Atlantic to catch them up. If you lose touch with everyone in the south, it is really hard. I will make some gains while the others are entering into the Doldrums and hopefully I will have a good Doldrums but who knows. It’s all a bit of a lottery."
Dee Caffari (Aviva)

 

"We're in a small group of ten boats, battling it out.  Yesterday I was sailing within sight of Roland Jourdain on Veolia. It's fascinating looking at the rankings and trying to analyse them.  It is clear we could see the race starting all over again in the Doldrums, with everything being put back to zero. I could find myself in the lead or relegated 100 miles back.  I hope I'm well placed to the west, even if it's difficult to plan for what we are about to face…" Yann Eliès (Générali)

 

"I'm sailing permanently between 15 and 17 knots having found some wind that wasn't really forecast. I was just about to hoist the spinnaker and in the end I had to sheet in the sails.  Ahead it looks a real mess, and meanwhile, I've moved up a  few places. It was about time for the trend to be reversed."  Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) speaking on today's radio session.

 

Sébastien Josse on today's radio session:

"The sea is calm and I'm sailing at ten knots with the wind from astern… It's better than last night, when I came to a standstill for a few hours.  I had a lot of manoeuvres to do and a series of tacks.  I was kept busy on the winches. We don't really have the normal pattern of trade winds.  They are already disturbed by the Doldrums. I think we should reach them tomorrow (Wednesday) late in the afternoon.  But it's not easy to be more precise, as the situation keeps changing with each satellite photo, between yesterday's and this morning's.  In any case, we'll all be arriving there at the same time. The routing programmes show us (the leading group) arriving at the Doldrums with only ten miles separating us." Sébastien Josse (BT)
 

Currently in 25th place, 1608 nautical miles from the leader, after restarting the race, Derek Hatfield is currently sailing at the latitude of Southern Portugal and has finally picked up some strong winds.
"From flat seas and little wind to 25 knots and building seas. I've had a fast and furious night as the wind has kicked in from the NE. It started to build around midnight and I had the gennaker and full main and the boat took off on the flat seas, hitting speeds of 20 knots or more. With a moon lite night, it was fantastic sailing and I spend the night on deck watching the water rush by. I've changed to the genoa and one reef and am still getting surfs up to 20 knots. But now I'm tired and must sleep for a while to catch up."  
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada)