Vendée Globe

The 20-knot SE'ly trade winds are finally allowing Foncia to sail at good speeds towards the Equator. Veolia should manage to get out of the ridge of high pressure to the north-west of the St. Helena high before obtaining similar speeds on Sunday evening. As for Brit Air, she is approaching the ridge of high pressure and should pass through this weekend. Further south, Roxy and Safran are battling it out on the northern edge of the fronts associated with the lows circulating in the Fifties, while still suffering from thundery squalls coming from South America. The transition between each of these systems is made up of calm zones (small high-pressure bubbles and low-pressure troughs) making their progress very irregular.
For Pindar, Akena and Aviva, the situation is simpler, as the wind is steadily blowing at between 25 and 35 knots and shifting from west to south-west. their progress towards the NNE is therefore quick after their tricky rounding of Tierra del Fuego.
Toe in the Water is approaching the Horn in a fairly strong west to north-westerly flow, allowing Steve White to find his way out of the Pacific. This weekend, he will feel the effects of the tropical low currently located over Great American III generating 35-45 knot winds gusting to 60-70 knots. The low is losing some of its activity as it moves towards the SE.
Nauticsport Kapsch and Fondation Ocean Vital are in a huge area of high pressure, which is blocking their path and their progress will be determined by the position of this zone. A low to their NW is pushing the high away in the coming days, but this will be a very gradual process.
Sylvain Mondon
Météo-France