Rhythm of the Race The first 9 boats in the Southern Hemisphere show double digit speeds.  Fastest are Whirlpool and Aquitaine Innovations at 13 knots.  Lowest of the top 9 is Solidares at 10.3 knots.

Standings table 

Top 3

1.  Aquitaine Innovations Yves Parlier  10:4 South 27:4 West
2.  PRB Michel Desjoyeaux 9:5 South 28:5 West + 63 miles 
3.  Sill Roland Jourdain  9:0 South 29:1 West +120

Courtesy of:

Fleet round up section 

2 more boats have crossed the equator.  Raphael Dinelli sailing Sogal Extenso was rescued from the sea in the last Vendee Globe.  Sailing a 1996 vintage boat Dinelli has come this far with no worries in 2000.

Javier Sanso is sailing Old Spice a 1992 design.  He trails by 63 miles.

Yves Parlier continues his fantastic race in 1st place.  He has gained 9 miles on PRB and 17 on Sill.  With the highest speed in the fleet he should continue on as the leader.

Skipper Communications  

Marc Thiercelin Active Wear "My water maker still doesn’t work, it’s really annoying and it worries me for the South, I really need to repair it. I have 1 liter of fresh water per day in tanks, it should last me until Cape Horn..."

Catherine Chabaud Whirlpool " I have rarely seen such a flat sea, so easy...Whirlpool is gliding along."

Ellen Macarthur Kingfisher "The sunset tonight was stunning - bright orange - masked by a quite cloudy horizon - the clouds almost becoming silhouettes."

Current weather conditions  Leaders sailing in East by South Force 4 trade winds.

Weather Forecast Winds trending east as the fleet descends.

What does it all mean

Task now is to get south and gain the benefit of the West winds from a high pressure.  This will start the high speed push across the bottom of the globe.