Rhythm of the Race Tense tactical sailing.  Winds are still light, and the fleet is within 40 miles of shore.  Lots of sail changes and many tacks to take advantage of shifts.

Standings table 

Top 3

1.  Aquitaine Innovations Yves Parlier 43:91 North 8:1 West
2.  PRB Michel Desjoyeaux 44:11 North 8:17 West + 4 miles
3.  Kingfisher Ellen Macarthur 44:39 North 7:64 West +8 Miles

 Fleet round up section 

Ellen Macarthur and Kingfisher have had a good 2nd day moving into 3rd place.  It has not been without difficulty.  The strop that holds the mainsail clew on the boom failed.  There was a backup in place, but Ellen must so up the failed one.

Ellen also describes her first medical problem of the race: "Spoke to my Uncle today, to ask him if I should stick a burning hot wire through my fingernail to release a bit of pressure as it was black after I trapped it last night. The answer was yes."

Group 4's Mike Golding gave this description of this dismasting: "We were about 6 or 7 hours into the race and I was sailing in about 16 knots of breeze, reaching, with full main and genoa. The boat was doing about 15 knots, it was a little bit bumpy, but nothing dreadful, and all of a sudden there was a loud crack and the rig fell over the side. Obviously everything happened very quickly at that point."

Golding's backup mast is scheduled to finish its journey from Southampton to Les Sable D'Olonne on Sunday.  

Most seriously Mike Golding and Team Group 4 have been dismasted.  Group 4's mast broke and went over the side just 44 miles into the race.  Golding's plans to return to Les Sables d'Olonne and step a replacement rig.  To continue racing, Golding must restart in 9 days.  He is motoring Group 4 back to port.

Skipper Communications  

Javier Sanso Old Spice ". I really don’t want to go anywhere near the Spanish coastline - strange as it may seem for a Spaniard - but I have so many bad memories even if it seems a good idea now."

Thomas Coville Sobedo "Couldn’t be going better!... I feel after a good preparation that everything on board is in tune, I am happy and have got my goal ahead of me now."


Patrice Carpentier VM Materiaux "I have had to climb the mast twice and at 50yrs of age it isn’t easy!"

Pasquale de Gregorio Wind "Right now I am making myself a good cup of coffee and afterwards I shall smoke a cigar in the cockpit! It’s a good day so I won’t push the boat."


Joe Seeten Nord Pas de Calais/Chocolats du Monde) "A lot of cargo ships around so I am staying alert."

Bernard Gallay Voila Fr. "Coming up to Cap Finisterre, I will cross the front and I am going to stay off the coast line."

Current weather conditions Winds range from 317° for Modern University for the Humanities at the back of the fleet to 035° for leader PRB.

Weather Forecast As they near Cape Finisterre there will be a front which will switch the wind 180° and see it trend lighter.

What does it all mean

There is  a difference of opinion in routing.  For instance Solidares, Union Bancaire Privee and VM Materiaux  are farther offshore from the leaders.  They maybe attempting to get to lower pressure and better wind.

Tomorrow will show results for this first splitting of the fleet.