"The number of miles to make up is declining each day… I'm pleased about that, but it's only going to last a few more hours, as we're going to get held up.  I'm in squalls, making the route that much more difficult with some cross, choppy seas. There's a long way to go still.  There's no point in trying to get around the high. I'm not getting the same winds, as those at the front.  I'm spending  quite some time inside, but I have seen a lot of birds, petrels and some more flying fish.  My terrace is just great: covered when it is sunny and closed when it is cold… "

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) on this morning's radio session.

 

"Yesterday evening, I fell into a different wind system. I therefore tacked to move eastwards with the other competitors.  The big surprise this  morning was seeing two boats.  It was incredible.  After 18 days of racing, I was sailing within sight of Vincent Riou and Roland Jourdain. It was like being in Quiberon Bay  doing some close sailing, except that we are a long way off the coast of Brazil in the middle of the South Atlantic.  This Vendée Globe is just amazing!"  Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2)

 

"Well, after a day of squalls yesterday, the sun is shining today and the wind seems a bit more consistent (albeit on the nose), which is good news. More good news is that the more consistent wind enabled me to sleep loads last night so I'm on great form!!  More good news - now it is cooling down I can enjoy my breakfast cup of Earl Grey tea once more! It was just too hot before. I've been looking at weather and hoping we'll squeeze through the high, and then we'll be off...... next stop when we get back to the Atlantic in a month or so! I've been thinking about the change to cold weather and strong downwind sailing with ROXY, and mentally planning how to shift around the gear to optimise our performance, and comfort. I think that this change will come quickly, and I want to be ready for it! In the meantime, I am also preparing a few more little maintenance jobs to do when the wind drops as we pass through the high pressure, to make sure Roxy is 100% strong and ready for the South!"  Sam Davies (Roxy) in her early morning message

 

"I prefer being the hunter rather than the hunted. It gets a bit annoying after a while to have a yapping dog going for your ankles all the time..."  Sébastien Josse (BT) in November ....2004.

"Yesterday I lost one of my slip-ons and my feet are pretty unhappy, as I'm going to have to do the rest of the round the world voyage in my boots and socks.  This evening I had to put a fleece on, proving that the Caribbean is behind us and that our route south since the Equator is taking us closer to the southern highway. I caught sight of Bilou with the binoculars and called him up.  He seems to be in fine form. He even saw an albatross, which was somehow lost up here.  A clear sign that the gateway to the south is just on the other side of the high...  "

Yann Eliès (Générali) in his early morning message.

 

After Derek Hatfield during the evening, the youngest competitor in the race,  Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve) crossed the Equator at around 6h15 this morning, meaning that all of those taking part in the race are now in the southern hemisphere.