Vendée Globe

The NW’ly flow kept its promises for Brit-Air as the wind is blowing between 35 and 45 knots (gusting to 50-60 knots) with 7-9 metre high waves throughout the zone between Cape Finisterre and the Azores. While the wind began to ease off at dawn, Brit-Air will suffer heavy seas for several hours, before the waves calm down.
The next four boats each have different options to get around the Azores high ahead of them: Roxy is trying to go via the east, close to the Great Circle Route (as Brit Air did a few days ago), Safran is going via the west, which is longer, but offers more downwind sailing, Pindar looks like taking the west, but closer to the centre than Safran (like Foncia last weekend) and finally Aviva can count on the high slowly moving eastwards, which should enable her to follow Pindar while being further from the centre.
The result of these options will be known this weekend for the first two and Monday for the next couple.
Further south, Akena has made it out of the Doldrums and is now sailing in the freshening NE’ly trade winds on a trajectory close to her three predecessors for a few days.
Toe in the Water is taking advantage of the easterly trade winds blowing at 12-16 knots in order to reach the Equator this weekend. Great American III is ina transition zone between two thundery lows: one organised to her south and one forming to her north. Things will reamin complicated for her for several days.
Down in the Falklands, the N to NW’ly wind will remain strong for at least 24h makig it difficult for OceanVital to moor and carry out repairs. To the south of Tierra del Fuego, Nauticsport Kapsch is sailing in 15-20 knots of westerly wind, but this wind will ease quickly towards los Estados island, where a high will catch the boat, slowing down her progress on her second day in the Atlantic.
Sylvain Mondon
Météo-France