Today the Safran Group announced that they would be continuing their partnership with Marc Guillemot until 2012… excellent news for the Breton sailor, who was contacted this evening during the weekly radio show in French. Becalmed off the coast of Brazil, « Marco » was clearly back to civilisation. «I’m surrounded by oil rigs and fishing boats. I just got caught up in a drift line. I was doing 10/11 knots and when the fishermen saw me they began to shout on the VHF and chase after me! Then, I went by another one for what must have been two miles. It’s hot and heavy, but unfortunately, there’s no wind. I must admit that this morning I was in a foul mood.»

The skipper of Foncia is now only 2772 miles from the finish and the Vendée Globe organisers have therefore been looking at his ETA. According to Sylvain Mondon of Météo France, he is likely to reach les Sables d’Olonne between 01h local time (00h GMT) on Saturday 31st January and 01h local time (00h GMT) on Monday 2nd February.

The skipper of Veolia Environnement crossed the Equator this morning at 8h30 GMT a little over two days after Foncia.
Michel Desjoyeaux took 71 days 17h and 12 mins to cover the distance from Les Sables- the Equator, while Bilou has taken 73 days 20 hours and 28 minutes. Meanwhile he continues to suffer the effects of the Doldrums and will have to wait a few more hours to find the trade winds in the Northern Hemisphere
 

First the good news. I’m going to be able to send photos of life on board via Iridium, even if it’s a bit long, as I really want to share my experience. The second good news is that I have found some wind. Not very strong but it is pushing my veranda towards the north. After reaching after the Falklands where I lost out to the British, the wind has eased off and shifted making me head northwards, while they continue towards the NE. I am now quite some way to the west with a slight westerly flow, which tends to drag me towards the high... The charts aren’t very clear and different from reality with light winds. On board all is well. Reading, trimming, mostly outside and something I didn’t do much in the Southern Ocean, I’m spending time at the helm without foulies, without a hat, but with sunglasses on!» Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas) by e-mail.

“Well, I am still trying to escape the clutches of this thundery front! I have been sailing into it all day, but inside the front there are thunderstorms and rain, and no wind, so each time I reach the front, Roxy stops, the front moves forward, and so we find ourselves spat out the back! Then the process starts again! So, it seems that Roxy is only allowed to move forward as fast as the front is oving.... no matter how hard I try! It is hard work, as in the front, before it dies off, the wind is shifty and gusty, so I have been manoeuvring, gybing, tacking.... There are loads of insects hitching a ride on roxy - all kinds of flying things, which are fine during the day, but quite scary at night because when I am wearing my head-torch they keep flying into my face! As you can imagine, a girl with a big moth suddenly flapping around her head -traditional noisy reaction!  As I write, we have come to another windless stop, the sails are flapping around in the swell, and there is torrential rain battering the decks! At least it's warm rain! I have to go and be ready to change trim for the next
puff of wind....”
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

“Well I tried and it took me ages, so you can imagine my disappointment when it kind of failed. Yes, just for a change I am talking about my mainsail. The wind was forecast to go light and I knew this would be my opportunity. I was nervous as I had gained so much ground on Pindar and I didn't want to slow my boat down. However, I had to take advantage of the slow conditions and light breeze so I dropped the main and started my wrestle with my 6 metres x 4 metres of code 5 sail material. I began to stick it to the area on my main where the damaged fibres are, the idea being that I will put a layer of material over the damaged area on both sides to protect the fibres in this spot. It took me three hours, lots of tape, some epoxy resin, some sikaflex, some cursing and a lot of patience. That does not include the hoisting and lowering numerous times to get to all four corners. Eventually I decided I could hoist, but unfortunately by the time I got to a full hoist the top area had come unstuck and was already falling away! The theory is correct but I now need to hope it stays where it is until I do the other side and then I think I am going to have to try and secure it again. I will probably have to stitch the corners. I did, in an extreme measure, try the skin staples from my medical kit but they didn't work. Anyway, the good news is that I am at a full hoist with my mainsail for the first time in ages and I have now been able to put a bigger headsail up in these light conditions, which is great. I know once I gybe and pick up the south easterly breeze I will need to do the operation again on the other side but until then I just need to keep Aviva moving. As for me - I am physically exhausted and now going to have a well earned shower and change of clothes!”
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message