Rhythm of the Race Slow and close with the top 5 boats under 10 knots and the top 4 within 285 miles of each other.

Standings table 

Top 3

1.  PRB 24 South 23 West
2.  Kingfisher 25 South 27 West + 71 miles 
3.  Active Wear  27 South 33 West +440 miles 

Fleet round up section

Day 73 sees the head of the fleet bunching together.  PRB's lead is down to only 71 miles!  2nd place Kingfisher gained 154 miles, while 3rd place Active Wear pulled up 186 miles in 24 hours.

Michel Desjoyeaux definitely is feeling his lead shrink.  The leaders are nearing the tradewinds.  If a boat could make these beneficial winds first the distances could widen.  However, as the boats sail closer together they are all likely to receive equal benefits as they will sail in the same weather.

Mike Golding rounded Cape Horn for the 5th time.  This time he sailed the Open 60 Group 4 rounding at 2130 GMT Sunday nite.  He trails Josh Hall and EBP Gartmore by only 298 miles.

Skipper Communications

 Josh Hall EBP-Gartmore "The last two weeks or so have been really unbelievable My last two weeks in the Pacific were notable for being
becalmed twice for 2 days each time, then despite having 70kts of wind the morning of my approach to The Horn, I sat completely becalmed for 8 hours just 20 miles from it! Since rounding things have been even worse......on saturday I was in the parking lot for 12 hours east of Staten Island where I was even going backwards for a while in a strong current, then sunday the strongest wind I had was 6 kts!!"

Ellen Macarthur Kingfisher "This morning feels like a new start"

Thomas Coville Sobedo "My aim after Cape Horn was not to defend my 5th place, but I wanted to do something radical. I wanted to go wide round and then come back up reaching but I never wanted to be so far in the West. I have to wait for the system which Dominique’s in. Like him, I’ve not been able to get some Easting in like the others. There will be more windows before the finish and I have some cards left to play still."

Patrice Carpentier VM Matériaux "The equipment aboard is all in working order, ready to race up the Atlantic. I’m happy to get into warmer temperatures when I can leave the cabin door open as inside it’s like the home of a dead soul."

Michel Desjoyeaux PRB "I’m waiting to receive all the recent weather models to come through. Looking at the ones yesterday it looks like there’s a way through. If there’s a remote chance I can get through I’ll go for it!"

Current Weather Top 4 boats sailing in winds under 10 knots.  Direction varies from 184° to NW for leder PRB.

Weather Forecast High pressure still the issue.  It is possible that there could be fast tradewind sailing tomorrow.

What does it all mean

It seems likely that for the front of the fleet the race is essentially starting over.  In addition to long term routing based decisions, regatta style boat to boat tactics may also be used.