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10:36 AM Tue 30 Dec 2008 GMT
Vendee Globe News. Racing with the benefit of better weather conditions Michel Desjoyeuax and Roland Jourdain are driving a bigger wedge between themselves and trio of boats which are in pursuit. Jean Le Cam in third saw his deficit rise by more than fifty miles overnight, while Vincent Riou and Armel Le Cl?ac'h lost more than 100 miles.
Sam Davies, GBR, is top international skipper, now in seventh place. Davies reported last night that an impact had kicked up one of her rudders on Roxy.
This Christmas holiday season would not be the same without a viewing of the classic The Great Escape, and while Michel Desjoyeaux is presently reprising the Steve McQueen role, so Roland Jourdain is determined not to be a mere understudy in this matin?e showing.
The plot is well known, as the leaders reap the benefit of riding a different weather system which the pursuers can't stay with, but it is one which was predicted on Sunday ago by Jean Le Cam.
Michel Desjoyeaux and Roland Jourdain are taking advantage of a different weather system from their rivals to extend their lead. During the night they were averaging 4 to 7 knots more than the next three. In two days Le Cam has lost 150 miles and is now 337 miles from the leader, and the situation is worse still for Vincent Riou (PRB) and Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air), who have conceded more than 100 miles overnight and 240 and 300 miles in 48 hours
These gaps are likely to increase still further during the day. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement), the fastest of the 16 boat fleet this morning was averaging 19.1 knots, some 7 knots faster than Le Cam. And overnight Jourdain - 50 miles to the south of Foncia's track - has not just lived with Desjoyeaux, but in fact has taken about 10 miles out of the leader, making 439 miles over the last 24h.
In sixth place, Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) must be pleased to have gybed during the night, as this should allow him to take another look at his starboard rudder. Dick is putting a brave face on it, but admits his repaired rudder system requires consistent love and care. He is still content to be in the race, but the Nicois skipper - who won the Barcelona World Race and worked tirelessly to maximize the reliability of his Farr design which was built in New Zealand - must be frustrated to be in sixth, back in the same position as he finished the 2004 race.
Sam Davies, GBR, has remained much the same distance behind Paprec-Virbac overnight, after having replaced the 'fuse' in her rudder yesterday evening after Roxy hit 'something small but solid'. Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar), Arnaud Boissi?res (Akena Verandas) and Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva) all crossed back into the western hemisphere last night, whilst Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) is relishing some more settled weather conditions, preparing to his two big jobs on board - stabilizing his broken gooseneck, and re-securing his generator.
Jonny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis II) and Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) may have felt they were due the respite they expected, but they have been forced to work extremely hard with very inconsistent winds, rapidly changing between 20 and 45 knots.
5000 miles behind the leader, Norbert Sedlacek AUT, (Nauticsport Kapsch) and Rapha?l Dinelli (Fondation Oc?an Vital) are about to cross the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, exactly two weeks after Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia).
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message.'The gales, the lows that have crushed us for a week are gone for now, which sounds as though we must be mightily relieved, and we are, except for what has happened in the aftermath. Not quite fetching the west end of the east Australian ice gate, I gybed last night north east, to get to more wind on the grib file. The file showed a little wave, a smaller front, that would roll through in the night.
It had 15-20 knots of wind. That was in the computer file. On deck, we had a series of squalls in the high 30s, then in the high 40s, seeing 48 knots in 3 different squalls. Between these, the wind would drop to 12 knots. What to do with the sails? Go up tentatively, and come down in a panic. At one point, I went from 2 reefs to 3 and rolled the solent entirely with the biggest blackest cloud in the book about a half mile astern and coming fast.
Finally, with 3 reefs and no jib, I trusted the pilot and climbed into the sleeping bag, there was nothing I could do on deck to stabilize this weather or our sailing, so might as well try to rest rather than exhaust myself. Finally it has stabilized at 25+/- and we're moving with solent and two reefs, still a bit tentative. A milestone today, we passed the west end of the east Australian ice gate, so one more mark checked off.'
Arnaud Boissi?res (Ak?na V?randas)in his daily message.'Good morning or good evening, depending on where you are. I've made it to 179 W. The wind shifted, as forecast, making it a little more difficult since this morning. Listening to the Doors and thinking of the next Pacific Gates. I force myself to carry out a tour of inspection each day both on the deck and down below. Problems happen so suddenly. I just found a packet of cake I had lost. I also discovered I have some presents for the New Year. Father Christmas was really generous this year!'
Steve White (Toe in the Water) in his daily message.'What a difference a day makes, it is really incredible. The wind has eased, and this mornings big squalls have been replaced with a gentle eighteen to twenty knots of breeze which is giving us a broad reach in beautiful sunshine with not a cloud in site - not one! It is incredibly bright outside and the sea is a rich mid blue flecked with small amounts of white here and there, the albatross look like they have been freshly bleached and positively shine. It is like I have rediscovered colour after days of grey - the red of the mainsheet and the yellow of the little tracker beacon lashed to the back of the boat are vivid as if seen as if through new eyes.
I have been on deck for the first time in as long as I can remember without oilskins and not got soaked. Now we are at the half way point it is strange to begin to see how things have been used up. I have used one of the big tanks of diesel, and I have one left and a full day tank with another eighty eight litres in it, so we should be fine. Most of the freeze dried main meals I like have gone too, and I am left with lots of rice dishes - I am not a good vegetarian and not that keen on rice! The wind is forecast to ease further, and I am going to take advantage of this and do some mending! The gooseneck and the generator namely, but in the meantime I am going to enjoy the sunshine and waste some diesel on listening to the stereo much too loudly!'
0400 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at + 9397.4 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 73.6 miles
3. Jean Le Cam (VM Mat?riaux) at + 337.7 miles
4. Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 641.1 miles
5. Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) at 687.7 miles
Selected International
7. Sam Davies, GBR, (ROXY) at + 1617.2 miles
9. Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 2266.7 miles
10. Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 2349
12. Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 2994.3 miles
13. Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 3866.9 miles
14. Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) at + 3952.9 miles
15. Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport.Kapsch) + 4912 miles
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