This message was written by Dee Caffari (Aviva), shortly before she was overtaken by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) last night.  This morning, she is in 16th place, 341 miles from the leader.

"All was well while we were in clear skies with an easterly breeze, then we entered the Doldrums.  The first black cloud, I laughed at as it barely washed the deck. In fact all it did was make the Sahara Dust run like mud. Then I entered the Daddy of all clouds and ended up seeing 20 knots and after a variety of directions it came from the west. My course now was all over the place as I could only sail in what I was in and the clouds were giving localised effects. The clouds would pick me up and spit me out in no wind calm patches. Getting wet every so often was good as it was really hot but   there was so much to do washing was not an option, still a fresh water rinse is as good in my book! Now it is dark and the fun has vanished. There is no moon and no indication of the clouds. The radar shows you the worst of the cloud but as you sail you are just waiting and feeling for what is going to happen next. I am writing this as I saw a clear patch ahead and I also just had to get out of my wet clothes as I was starting to get cold." 

 

"We're going to spend quite a few days heeled over to the right – I'd say about a week – and so it is important for the boat to be ready for that.  This latest phase is going to be a compromise between speed and course. I'm going to have to get used to this angle and the lop, but the next few days offer an opportunity to recover before turning off. We now have our sights set on the St. Helena high. Today, it isn't very clear, as it's moving around and trying to establish itself, but that's some time off anyway."  Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80)

Message sent during the night by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), who was slowed down at the start of this week-end:
«Always the same on Friday evenings heading back home on the motorway.  You must know the toll booth at St Arnoult?  At 17H, you always get stuck and this evening nothing's moving here very fast and then there are the guys telling me I've been driving too fast to get here... So I was kept in for a while and we all get wet in the rain.  22h.  They let me go.  Move along now.  In fact, the trade wind had reappeared and the final dark squall was gone. What a joker, this St Arnoult!  Next?  Saint Helena.  She's not on the motorway to the west, but to the south.  Mich."

 

At 21 h UTC  this evening (Friday), LoÏck Peyron (Gitana 80) became the first competitor to enter the southern hemisphere.  You can watch a video of this by clicking on video in the media section.

So what do you do, when you're in 19th place, 361 miles from the leader sailing at the latitude of Sierra Leone, waiting to see what will happen , when the Doldrums come up?  Obvious really.  Just  relax and put on some Kings of Leon at full volume or why not watch a video of Flight of the Conchords on your mobile?  That is what Jonny Malbon has been up to this morning...
 

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is continuing to work his way back up the fleet. Still in sixteenth place at 20h, Mich’ Desj’ is only four miles behind Dee Caffari (Aviva) in terms of distance to the finish. In reality,the "Professor" is a bit further south then Dee, but ten miles or so further west. Logically, he should grab 15th place during the night. Ahead lies Marc Guillemot (Safran), 75 miles in front of him. So it looks like it will start to get a bit tougher from now on...