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10:56 PM Mon 1 Dec 2008 GMT
 | | 'Heading for the Ice Gates'
Benoit Stichelbaut DPPI
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The head scratching, brain teaser that was the St Helena high pressure system is a fast fading memory as the top ten leading skippers on the Vend?e Globe gybe south and east to pick up the Roaring Forties, to propel them eastwards to the first Ice Gate some 650 miles to the east.
The equation to be weighed up presently is the perennial dilemma, head south, sail more miles but gain more breeze, or sail more directly east in a few knots less of prevailing NW'ly, cover a shorter distance at slightly slower speeds.
Having taken a 120 miles slant to the south east, Seb Josse is back on the gaining gybe, heading near enough eastwards averaging something close to 15 knots spurred on the heels of a modest cold front. Over the last four hours his sixty miles of easting, while his closest rival, Lo?ck Peyron angles more south, means that the British built BT has gained nearly 20 miles and Josse is now measured at 43.2 miles ahead of Peyron whose birthday it was today.
After three weeks of racing the leading boats remain incredibly close. Vincent Riou (PRB) and Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) are locked only on a parallel course, only four miles apart, while Riou reported a port and starboard crossing with rival Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) which was more in keeping with inshore Olympic racing than a round the world race.
At 12:30hrs this afternoon the pair crossed on opposite gybes, a matter of metres apart. Riou filmed as the pair separated, PRB on port and Paprec-Virbac 2 on starboard.
Vendee Globe Rankings - 15:00 HRS GMT. (FRA, unless stated)
1- Seb Josse (BT) at 18908.9 miles
2- Lo?ck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) + 43.2 miles
3- Yann Elies (Generali) +60.7 miles
4 - Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) + 70.6 miles
5- Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 73.1 miles
Selected International
8- Mike Golding, GBR, (ECOVER 3) at + 94.7 miles
12- Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) at + 247.3 miles
13- Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 342.9 miles
14- Sam Davies, GBR,(ROXY) at + 416.2 miles
15- Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 505 miles
17 - Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 629.3 miles
18 - Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 697.8 miles
19- Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Chemin?es Poujoulat) at + 697.8
20- Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) at + 716.7 miles
21- Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) at + 881.5 miles
23- Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport-Kapsch) not polled
25- Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) at + 1505.5 miles
There are less than seventeen miles separating fourth from seventh.
The ice gate is the first of seven, which keep the fleet north, away from the worst of the ice. The CLS service, which monitors ice throughout the race, report a 450 metres long ice-berg at 47 degrees south, some 350 miles to the south of the ice gate. The fleet must pass through it, pass north of both 'marks' or pass between the two and gybe back south immediately.
Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3)holds ninth place 94.7 miles behind Josse, whilst Switzerland's Dominique Wavre (Temenos II) is the latest to fall to the advancing Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia). Foncia was making a remarkable 18.3 knots, averaging 13.8 knots over the last 24 hours gaining to 11th place ahead of Temenos II, with less than 37 miles standing between Foncia and the top 10.
Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar)is into the stronger Forties type breezes now after having to exonerate himself for his four hours starting penalty. Having been dicing and dueling with Wavre for days, Bahrain Team Pindar has dropped to nearly 100 miles behind the Swiss skipper.
Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva)has been taking a pre-emptive course of antibiotics to control and inflamed knee in preparation for her first adventure in the south with her Open 60.
Dee Caffari, GBR: ' I knew my knee was sore but when I peeled off some layers yesterday to have a shower I saw it was really red and swollen, and so I sent a picture to my medic and he has put me on an anti-biotic to see if we can clear it up. I think we might have caught it in time, so my fingers are crossed I have four days of antibiotics.
1st, Seb Josse, (BT):I'm pretty tired because I manoeuvred a lot in the last hours. I gybed at night, and took the gennaker down this morning: it was getting a bit tricky given the wind conditions. I have 23 to 28 knots of breeze, and big downwind sails are difficult to handle over long periods when it blows hard. I now have one reef in the main and the Solent jib, it's still fast but much more stable - it will allow me to get some rest, and that's exactly what I'll do after I hang up!'
4th at + 73.1 miles, Vincent Riou, (PRB):'It was one of the most dangerous moments I have ever had on the open seas. With Virbac, I was forced to grab the helm, because he was starboard and I was on the port side. So I just had to give way, as he had priority! It just goes to show how close we are. It's completely mad!'
by Event media
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