Over the past 24 hours, Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) covered the greatest distance towards the finish.  From 20h yesterday evening until this evening, he covered 397 miles.  Currently in 9th place, he is now only 87.4 miles from the leader.

 

"At 1510 UTC today, at 40 deg 20'min S and 1 deg 05 min E, GA3 passed north of a point of the first ice gate. We are with gray overcast skies, periodic rain, 25-30 knots of wind, and making 12 knots with solent and 2 reefs in the main. The pilot is doing a good job. The barometer is rising slightly as the very steady weather pattern of the last several days, being sandwiched between a moving low to the south, and the South Atlantic high to the north, is changing finally. We are en route for the second ice gate4-5 days down the track.  The boat surges from time to time into the 20 knot range, like on a rail, she stands up straight and drives ahead, the faster boat speed makes a faster wind speed which makes a faster boat speed which makes a faster wind speed which makes a ... you get the picture. It cycles up until something throws it off, a wave, a flaw in the wind... but from the chart table, especially in the dark, it is very, very tense... the loads go up as the speed goes up, and you just hope that everything comes out OK at the end of the surge."
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

 

Among the videos received from the skippers today, we can see Sam Davies (Roxy) and Rich Wilson (Great American III).  The American skipper shows us around down below and you can hear the continual noise the skippers have to put up with. To watch these videos, just click  here.

"Last night was fast and furious again with a top speed of 25.3 knots, a best for this trip and for this boat. I can feel the effects of the high pressure system now and the barometer is starting to rise. It's going to be very close to make it through before the high develops here. I spotted my first albatross for this trip early this morning. They are magnificent birds and seem so at home here in the southern ocean. They soar around, doing a wheeling pattern into the trough of the waves and up high and back down again, only flapping their wings occasionally. I watched one last trip for over five minutes and it never flapped it's wings once, gliding on it's huge wings and relying on the wind between the waves to keep going. I'm wondering if they can do this wheeling and soaring pattern in their sleep. I've read that they will spend months at sea and never touch land."   
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) in his daily log

 

"To be overtaken by somebody who is on their fifth lap of the planet is not too bad to be honest. You can really see the difference between the guys who have done it before and the rest of us. Look at Bernard. He is clearly more at ease with the conditions down here so would not have had any qualms about putting more sail up. It is not nice to lose miles to these guys but in a funny way, it gives you confidence.  It is hard to relax. I am playing my Ipod pretty loud at the moment. Before I left I loaded a new album on that I had never listened to before - by The Script. I absolutely love it so I'm listening to that every day. If I want a singalong, I play Nickelback and reckon I am singing louder than the noise the boat makes. I had a couple of days when I freaked out a bit and was super sensitive about everything.  I phoned my boyfriend Harry in a flurry of tears. It was a combination of everything - I was in the south. It was full on and it would be like this for a while. I had never done this before and I was on my own. Its fine now but I just had a small panic I think, which is a bit weird because I am enjoying it."
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message

 

"The wind has eased off and it is more stable now.  Life is good on board.  I haven't broken anything. Today, 6th December is a special day in Austria. It's St. Nick's Day and we all eat chocolate.  I'm sleeping well and eating well. I'm sure the weather will steadily worsen."
Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch) on today's radio session.  We can hope that Norbert is behaving himself, as in the German version of the story, Knecht Ruprecht accompanies St. Nick to punish or even eat bad children!