Vendée Globe

The first gales reached the back of the fleet during the night, beginning with Pakea-Bizkaia, while a group of five competitors led by Aviva have reached the high. This move towards the high meant they got away from the strong gusts to their south. On Thursday morning it was Roxy that felt the full blast of the gales and this afternoon and this evening, it will be the leaders In the current pattern, the wind can vary considerably over several degrees of latitude.  On the edge of the high, 20-25 knot winds are blowing, gusting to 30-35 knots, while a hundred miles further south, the wind is averaging 30-40 knots and gusting to 50-60 knots.  Another disturbed area will affect the back of the fleet on Friday, as it moves on a similar trajectory. It will be passing to the south of the boats. Between these two low, a high is temporarily going to be in place and could affect the leaders off the tip of South Africa on Friday night.

Sylvain Mondon
Météo-France