Rhythm of the Race Speeds vary.  The newly masted Aquitaine Innovations is over 10 knots.

Standings table 

Top 3

1.  PRB 36 South 34 West
2.  Kingfisher 39 South 42 West + 339 miles 
3.  Active Wear  43 South 40 West +543 miles

Fleet round up section

Day 68 sees more gains being made on leader PRB.  Today's gains are not huge, at 8 and 56 miles but are still in the positive column.

However, PRB is back up to 9 knots.  2nd place Kingfisher sails at 11.5 knots, 3rd place Active Wear at 8.5 knots.

The high pressure still looks an ocean wide.  Until either PRB is out of it or the pursuers are in it one can't be certain of a boats progress.

Back in the fleet early this morning Catherine Chabaud steered Whirlpool around Cape Horn.  This is her 2nd rounding of Cape Horn.

Skipper Communications

Josh Hall EBP-Gartmore ". I hope I have just done my last gybe ever in the south because we should hold this gybe right up to The Falklands if the weather charts are true. Its been a grand adventure down here again but I am more than ready for some warmer sailing conditions and wave goodbye to the Pacific which has not been too kind to my race!"

Ellen Macarthur Kingfisher "The wind is further North, I am a bit too far in the West. The anticyclone’s wind might come back but it’s moving a lot, it’s not easy. The next days are not going to be easy. At the moment the situation is still not too bad."

Michel Desjoyeaux PRB "I don’t know if the wind I have will keep me in the lead! Still, I’m going at 9 knots consistently through light conditions on a flat sea. I still haven’t got out of this bubble. Far from it! Ellen continues to climb."

Marc Thiercelin Active Wear "I’m like Parlier, I tend to try, to take risks. I’m waiting until we get beyond the Equator until I make a move. I could really get stuck beforehand if I end up with headwinds off the Brazilian coastline. The game is still wide open."


Current Weather The top 5 have wind from 11 to 16 knots.  Leader PRB has north wind, others west and north west.

Weather Forecast Beam winds for the lead boats.

What does it all mean

Marc Thiercelin talks of risk taking.  With the gaps closing, for now, a race winning risk may still be possible.