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8:36 AM Thu 22 Jan 2009 GMT
For the two Vend?e Globe leaders it is tale of the 'have' and the 'have-not' today, and there is little prospect of the situation improving very quickly for Roland Jourdain in second place. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) has around 20 knots of NE'ly trade widns and is sprinting north in the NE'ly trade winds more than 500 miles north of the Equator.
Roland Jourdain has not got very much wind at all, and is still struggling slowly north still with 20 miles or so to reach the Equator at 0600hrs GMT this morning. Overnight, between the rankings, 'Bilou' made just 37 miles and by the looks of this morning's weather files he could have at least another 100 miles of painfully slow going before he can breathe again in the NE'ly trade winds. It will get worse before it can get better for him. The slow going, compared with Mich Desj's regular 15 knots averages, has seen Veolia Environnement debited another 70 miles and is now 440 miles behind Foncia.
For the leader the wind is stable but the seas are fairly rough forcing Desjoyeaux to drop his bow down from the direct route and head more north-north-westwards, which will also enable him to round the Azores high, which is stretching out to the west. With his comprehensive lead Michel Desjoyeaux is sailing prudently, while at the same time looking towards the future.
Yesterday Jourdain harboured hopes that he was out of the Doldrums after a quiet, yet stifling day, but he has found himself surrounded by dark clouds and thundery squalls. A difficult night going nowhere fast, even if he tried heading off at 90? to the normal route.
For Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) in third place the winds off Brazil seem to very tired and he is only rarely managing to go beyond 10 knots boat speed off Bahia.
Marc Guillemot (Safran) is struggling in squally showers and hot, tropical air, while 200 miles further east, Sam Davies (Roxy) but in terms of speed, she is still having to wait. She had a good spell in the evening to midnight, before slowing down to a crawl. Her consolation is that Guillemot has had much the same kind of night in close to the Brasilian coast.
The gang of three behind have not been much better with Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) and Dee Caffari (Aviva) facing headwinds, while Arnaud Boissi?res (Ak?na V?randas) heading northwards is trying to get around the thundery systems developing off Rio de la Plata. Thompson and Caffari moved east around midnight to try and catch some off the extra breeze generated by a thundery low pressure system, and Thompson is moving better this morning, making nine knots, while 260 miles to their west Arnaud Boissi?res is now 134 miles behind Caffari although moving at much the same speed.
Steve White (Toe in the Water) has had a steady night in a transition area from favourable 15kts W'ly winds before skirting the edge of a cell of high pressure which is now giving him light N'ly winds. His major ambition presently is to close down the 914 miles gap he has to Arnaud Boissi?res.
Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) has 950 miles to sail to Cape Horn and is making a steady 9-10 knots, inspired by having digested the inauguration speech of President Obama which was e-mailed to him.
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message:'Well I tried and it took me ages, so you can imagine my disappointment when it kind of failed. Yes, just for a change I am talking about my mainsail. The wind was forecast to go light and I knew this would be my opportunity. I was nervous as I had gained so much ground on Pindar and I didn't want to slow my boat down. However, I had to take advantage of the slow conditions and light breeze so I dropped the main and started my wrestle with my 6 metres x 4 metres of code 5 sail material. I began to stick it to the area on my main where the damaged fibres are, the idea being that I will put a layer of material over the damaged area on both sides to protect the fibres in this spot.
It took me three hours, lots of tape, some epoxy resin, some sikaflex, some cursing and a lot of patience. That does not include the hoisting and lowering numerous times to get to all four corners. Eventually I decided I could hoist, but unfortunately by the time I got to a full hoist the top area had come unstuck and was already falling away! The theory is correct but I now need to hope it stays where it is until I do the other side and then I think I am going to have to try and secure it again. I will probably have to stitch the corners. I did, in an extreme measure, try the skin staples from my medical kit but they didn't work. Anyway, the good news is that I am at a full hoist with my mainsail for the first time in ages and I have now been able to put a bigger headsail up in these light conditions, which is great. I know once I gybe and pick up the south easterly breeze I will need to do the operation again on the other side but until then I just need to keep Aviva moving. As for me - I am physically exhausted and now going to have a well earned shower and change of clothes!'
0400hrs HRS GMT. Rankings, Thursday 22nd January - (FRA unless stated)
1 . Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at 2828.6 miles to finish
2 . Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at 440.3 miles from first place
3 . Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) at 1022.1 miles from first place
4 . Marc Guillemot (Safran) at 1890.4 miles from first place
5 . Sam Davies (Roxy) at 1971.3 miles from first place
6 . Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) at 2604.6 miles from first place
7 . Dee Caffari (Aviva) at 2637.1 miles from first place
8 . Arnaud Boissi?res (Akena V?randas) at 2771.5 miles from first place
9 . Steve White (Toe in the water) at 3686.1 miles from first place
10 . Rich Wilson (Great American III) at 5147.8 miles from first place
11 . Rapha?l Dinelli (Fondation Oc?an Vital) at 6881.3 miles from first place
12 . Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport . Kapsch) at 6901 miles from first place
RDG . Vincent Riou (PRB). 3rd equal. 30 boats started
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