«That's done. Foncia has just entered the Atlantic. It was 3h 10 GMT when I passed to the south of the Cape. Squally weather with 35-40 knot winds, gusting to 45 knots. Pitch black, so no photos, or videos of the rock at the bottom. Both lights are on - the Cape and the Eastern tip. The seas are finally calm and the wind reasonable: 23 knots, quiet weather if you like! Now off to some new adventures on the way back up.»

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) by e-mail this morning on rounding the Horn. 
 

"Just through half my fuel last night, so used 110 litres to go 14000 miles – pretty economical motoring! Should be ok to the finish with the additional solar and wind power. I have enough food for another 50 days. The repair to the forward structure seems to be holding well. Outside the clouds are ragged as I am so close to the low pressure, with 2% blue skies, the first blue sky I have seen since before New Zealand. Yesterday the sun came out for just a minute, it seemed a very unusual experience, like experiencing a reverse solar eclipse. A few big albatross have paid visits on their long oceanic flights, and seen several storm petrels flitting about the waves, but out here in mid Pacific there does not seem so many birds as in the Indian Ocean, where there are more islands, whilst in the Pacific there are none between the islands close to New Zealand, and the South American coast. I go through stretches of water with lots of krill in the sea, and then stretches with none, at the moment the mesh rope bags have a couple of inches of krill in each one, I need to give them a clean out, as it is starting to smell like a whale in the cockpit! Krill is starting to be fished for human consumption, I just hope that not too much is taken, as it is the basic food for all the wildlife of the Antarctic and sub Antarctic, though I feel that my small catch is not going to upset the ecosystem too much."

Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message

"Sad news today is Artemis/Jonny Malbon retiring from the race due to mainsail delamination. Jonny and I are like iridium pen pals after talking nearly every day through the gales of the Indian Ocean. A very tough decision for him to make. He'll head for Auckland, New Zealand now. En route we'll continue to talk, and he said that once ashore, he'll give a  call every couple of days. it was important for him too to have a soulmate in the gales out there.  So we enter the Pacific alone.  Steve White is 1000miles ahead and going faster and away. Norbert and Raphael are about 1000nm behind and going similar speed to us. it was great to have Jonny within 100 miles."

Rich Wilson (Great Amercain III) in his daily message

"The sea and wind conditions are better now, particularly the sea, which is not as rough. Between manoeuvres, I have been reading Erik Orsenna "Portrait du Gulf Stream", one of my Christmas presents. A book you can put down and pick up without losing the thread. An excellent book from someone with passion. One that you want to read more of! I shall be passing the gate on the eastern edge. My veranda is holding out. The hour of sunshine this morning was really nice. Cleaning, bailing out, shaving. Cali, the perfect housekeeper has worked miracles. Everything smells nice inside if we forget the omnipresent damp and the charming smell of diesel. From the veranda in the Pacific on the slalom run between two gates."
Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas)in his daily message
 

"Yesterday I passed a special mark in my personal voyage around the globe. Eleven years ago, Royal and SunAlliance was dismasted at 52S 129W during our Trophee Jules Verne record attempt.  I was ony 23 and unknowingly on the adventure that would pave out the path for my carreer. I think I was almost too young really - I remember suffering so much from the cold, fatigue, fear and discovering how to go way beyond my limits for the first time.  We all learnt so much on that record attempt. In fact we were sailing our catamaran to record pace when we were dismasted which made the blow even harder to swallow. We had been hit by a huge wave, residual from the 60-knot storm we had recently ridden out.  We had all promised that we'd be back, and this is my part of that promise, eleven years on!  Ever since the start of this Vendee Globe, there has been just one little fear that I have not talked about to anyone because it is stupid - and that is to get beyond the longitude of our dismasting, safe and well. So, now it is done - Roxy has passed over 129W and I have toasted our mast, and given Neptune some chocolate. I feel like a little weight has lifted off me and I can now really aim for Cape Horn!"

Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

"Incredible! I knew Moitessier grew lentils or peas, to get his supply of vitamin C to ward off scurvy, and that others are seaweed to fight against boredom. I've seen weed growing on the transoms of boats where the water can be stagnant. But this is a first, there's weed in the cockpit on the floor. I can't tell you what kind or variety, but it's definitely not paint or dirt. It just shows that we're in the wet all the time and it never dries off. I'm going to call in the surgeon to fit me out with gills considering the circumstances. But meanwhile this is going to have to dry out. If all goes well it will be a question of hours now..."
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in his daily message