Rhythm of the Race The leaders are past the Canary Islands sailing along the Sahara Desert at double digit speeds.

Standings table 

Courtesy of:

Top 3

1.  PRB  Michel Desjoyeaux 25:1 North 18 West
2.  Sobedo Thomas Coville 25:2 North 16:2 West + 16 miles 
3.  Active Wear Marc Thiercelin 25.5North 16:5 West +40 

Fleet round up section 

Thomas Coville and Sobedo make their first leader board appearance.  Coville is to the west of the boats around him. His course is 182° more than 20° different.  So far, so good as his speed was shown at 16 knots faster than either PRB or Active Wear.

At the Canary Island waypoint Kingfisher led Active Wear by 20 minutes.  At last report Kingfisher's speed was only 6.1 knots.  It's not clear the methods, but during the nite Thiercelin outraced Macarthur.  

Most of the other leaders are steering SSW or SW by S courses aiming to head out into the Atlantic ocean.

Skipper Communications  

Simone Bianchetti Aquarelle.com "I finally managed to sort my auto-pilots problems. I should do better now."

Javier Sanso Old Spice "The nylon bearings in my gooseneck have exploded so I’ve been laminating last night. Tomorrow I’ll take the boom down to fix it. I have to make a mould with epoxy and fibre."

Éric Dumont Euroka, un univers de services "The heavier boats are behind and I am in between the two main groups. Ahead those guys are pushing hard and they go really quick! It’s a different kind of regatta they’re having."

Raphael Dinelli Sogal Extenso "I shall pass the Canaries tonight. The boat’s fine but my ankle isn’t."

Marc Thiercelin Active Wear "The wind comes from the East at the moment, I do 10/15 knots, for my own pleasure... I slept nearly all night, I need to for later."

Bernard Stamm "Going through the Canaries' gateway was amazing, none of us has had the same tactics..."

Catherine Chabaud Whirlpool "I passed the Canaries in exactly the same way as I did 4 years ago: with a rising moon when I sailed past the waypoint."

Didier Munduteguy DDP 60° Sud "I have problems with my gennaker, but personally I have no problems except that things seem a little slow on the route."

Yves Parlier Aquitaine Innovations "The objective is to get as far down South as possible in the next 2-3 days. The trade winds will ease off then."

Dominique Wavre Union Bancaire Privée "I’m not happy with my ranking when I have been trying so hard."

Current weather conditions Force 4&5 winds.  ENE for the leaders, NE for the boats farther back. 

Weather Forecast Not much of a change.

What does it all mean

Although not an official waypoint, the boats are collectively aiming for the doldrums.  Whoever scopes out the course of least resistance through the light Doldrums air will gain.  The courses set now will help determine who reads the winds right.