 |
10:22 AM Sun 16 Nov 2008 GMT
Overnight in the Vend?e Globe the leading trio have made a 20 miles gain on the next group of boats. Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty) extended his lead by about eight miles and now has 22.5 miles in hand over Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux). Mike Golding still top international skipper.
Ecover 3 lies nintth, losing around 30 miles on leader Peyron overnight. American Rich Wilson (Great American III) gains two places overnight despite a suspected cracked rib. Quickest in the fleet overnight is Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), playing catch up after re-starting with a deficit of two days and about 400 miles. Foncia is 22nd, 165 miles W. of Madeira.
A little break has occurred with the leading trio, Peyron, Le Cam, Josse, gaining an extra 20 miles overnight over Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) in fourth place. The gap between Paprec-Virbac 2 and Peyron's Gitana Eighty is now more than 60 miles. Dick, winner of the Barcelona Race with Damian Foxall, and the second wave of skippers, may have worries about this scenario, where the three frontrunners leave them standing and continue to compete against each other in their own race. That is not the the case, but there is the possibility.
For Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) in ninth, losses overnight are very much in keeping with the breezes he had, but a small gain to 10th placed J?r?mie Beyou (Delta Dore) does not amount to much. More concerning will be the possibility of the break at the front increasing. Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) made a gain of two places through clever choices passing the Canary Islands passing both Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) and Raphael Dinelli, (Fondation Oc?an Vital). Dinelli sailed west of the Canaries, while Wilson and Basurka bith chose to pass between Grand Canaria and Fuerteventura, Great American III close to Grand Canaria's east shore, Basurka paralleled close to the west coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Great American III is now 19th.
Some have at least the consolation that they avoided the trap that closed the door on Marc Guillemot (Safran) and to a lesser extent on Dee Caffari (Aviva), who both suffered in the disturbed winds around the Canaries, although fifty miles to their west. The skipper of Safran certainly paid the price, as he is back in 15th place, 272 miles from the race leader.
Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia has one of the best reasons to smile this morning. 640 miles from the leader, he is advancing at 13.9 knots, by far the fastest boat in the fleet . Meanwhile Derek Hatfield on Algimouss - Spirit of Canada is struggling in calms off Galicia averaging less than 3 knots during the night.
Vendee Globe Standings - 05:00GMT, Sunday Day 7.
1- Lo?ck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) 21804.6 miles to finish
2- Jean Le Cam (VM Mat?riaux) at + 22.5 miles to leader
3- Seb Josse (BT) at + 30.5 miles
4- Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at + 63.7 miles
5- Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 80.8 miles
Selected international:
9- Mike Golding, GBR, (ECOVER 3) at + 120.7 miles
11- Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at +196.7 miles
12- Sam Davies, GBR,(ROXY) at + 213.8 miles
14- Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) + 252 miles
16- Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) + at 327.3 miles
17- Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 351.8
18- Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 388 miles
19- Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) + 460.4 miles
21- Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) + 485.1 miles
by Vendee Globe media
|
|
Double Is Pt, QLD
Kitesurfing - Kites
Foiling - Foils Complete
Windsurfing - Accessories