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12:09 PM Fri 28 Nov 2008 GMT
Neptune decided to throw in some wild cards last night, as the Vendee Globe leaders entered a zone of virtually random conditions with squalls, calms, grey skies, lower temperatures and variable south-easterly winds averaging just 10 knots. The high pressure area is now being felt, with sudden wind shifts of more than 40 degrees in the small hours of this morning.
Loick Peyron (Gitana 80) and Armel l'Cleac'h (Brit Air) were able to carry on a straight course for the south-south-east, moving Peyron back up to the lead in this morning's rankings - these two can no doubt see each other, as they are just seven miles apart. Similarly Vincent Riou (PRB), Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Yann Eli?s (Generali), are practically next to each other at this extraordinary point in the race.
Yesterday evening Sebastien Josse (BT) had wrestled the lead from Peyron. He is now showing in second place, just 1.2 miles behind Peyron, but by being on the east of the front runners Josse has managed to stay on port tack as the wind shifted more southerly. He is currently heading south-south-west with relative speed in these light conditions - a radical move which may yet pay off as BT is also the most southernmost boat.
The biggest effects of the southerly shift were felt to the west of the course, where Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2, 7th) and Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR, 9th) were forced to tack during the night, losing ground as they headed on an easterly course on starboard. They will now be experiencing similar conditions to the leading bunch, as the fleet converges yet further.
Jean le Cam (VM Mat?riaux), out on the east of this group, has moved up to fourth place this morning as the leading pack sail towards his line.
As the leaders slow, the chasing bunch of Marc Guillemot (Safran), Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar, GBR) and Dominque Wavre (Temenos, SUI) have kept the pace on, with Temenos currently the fastest boat on the course. Thompson for instance is 55 miles closer to the leader than he was yesterday morning. Meanwhile in 22nd place Bernard Stamm (Chemin?es-Poujoulat) is doing his best to eat up the miles, covering the greatest distance in the past 24 hours.
Last night Derek Hatfield (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) became the 24th skipper to cross the Equator, with just Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty remaining in the northern hemisphere.
News from the Boats.
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her early morning message, Well, after a day of squalls yesterday, the sun is shining today and the wind seems a bit more consistent (albeit on the nose), which is good news. More good news is that the more consistent wind enabled me to sleep loads last night so I'm on great form!! More good news - now it is cooling down I can enjoy my breakfast cup of Earl Grey tea once more! It was just too hot before. I've been looking at weather and hoping we'll squeeze through the high, and then we'll be off...... next stop when we get back to the Atlantic in a month or so! I've been thinking about the change to cold weather and strong downwind sailing with ROXY, and mentally planning how to shift around the gear to optimise our performance, and comfort. I think that this change will come quickly, and I want to be ready for it! In the meantime, I am also preparing a few more little maintenance jobs to do when the wind drops as we pass through the high pressure, to make sure Roxy is 100% strong and ready for the South!'
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar)in his daily log yesterday evening talking about seeing an Arctic Tern, a bird known for covering huge distances around the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back.
'Had a call from my current neighbour, Dominic Wavre on Temenos, and it was great to chat as we voyage these waters together. He is also rested and is working on his boat. He is hopeful of catching some miles on the leaders over the next few days, and I am all for that! Passed by Trindade Island and saw it for the first time. Lots of sea birds came out for a look at the big blue Bahrain Team Pindar and I was sure that I saw an Arctic Tern amongst the other birds. Away from the island no birds, but still the occasional splash as another flying fish launches itself out of the water to skip away across the waves to land up to a hundred metres from its take off point. Cabin temp now 29 degrees and water temp 22.7?, It is noticeably cooler now. The days are growing noticeably longer now as well.'
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia). 'There's something else that changes, when you are in the south and it happens as soon as you cross the Equator. Coriolis has turned around. Having said that, I'm wondering whether he actually exists here, as it has been six days we've had wind from the same direction. South Africa must be emptying itself and Copacabana filling up. The itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikinis must be flying off. As if they needed any wind down there to get them off....Something crazy is happening at the front of the fleet, leading them to change tack to take advantage of a pressure gradient to get in the miles to the east, and the troops are spreading out? Those of us poor guys following on behind a few gybes behind, can only continue southwards, still heeled over.'
0500 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)
1- Lo?ck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) 19699.1 miles to the finish
2- Seb Josse (BT) at + 1.2 miles to leader
3-Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) at + 1.8 miles
4-Jean Le Cam (VM Mat?riaux) at + 9.9 miles to leader
5- Roland Jourdain (PRB) at + 15.2 miles to leader
Selected International
9- Mike Golding, GBR, (ECOVER 3) at + 41.2 miles
11- Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 184.6 miles
12- Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) at + 200.6 miles
13- Sam Davies, GBR, (ROXY) at + 247.7 miles
15- Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 408.1 miles
17- Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 684.3 miles
18 - Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 760.9 miles
18- Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) at + 801.3 miles
20- Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) at + 879.3 miles
22- Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Chemin?es Poujoulat) at + 946.1 miles
23- Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport-Kapsch) at + 1291.5 miles
24- Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) at + 1499.6 miles
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Cape Byron, NSW
