Vendée Globe

The second low, which has made its way up through the fleet is now off to the SE of the leaders.  The frontrunners thus found the wind backing during the night as an occuded front went over.  The NW'ly wind blowing between 25 and 35 knots backed SW'ly.  Further west those chasing on behind experienced a veering wind: the SW'ly winds veered NW'ly.  The most immediate consequence for the race did not concern the wind direction but its strength.  In the middle of the ridges, winds are light (below 10 knots) and the shift is farly slow, but as a front passes over the winds are stronger and the shift quicker.  That is why the gaps between the leaders and the rest of the fleet have increased over the past 24 hours.
After the ridge, the following front (with firstly a NW'ly wind then a SW'ly later on) is already there  and has been allowing the rear of the fleet to step up the pace once again since this morning.
A new ridge  has formed and will follow the front, before the next front moves in from the west. This alternating pattern of SW'ly and NW'ly winds as ridges and fronts pass over is characteristic of the disturbed flow that the 60-foot monohulls have beeen experiencing.  This alternating of veering and backing winds will continue to affect the 24 competitors in the race over the next few days.
Sylvain Mondon
Météo-France