Miranda Merron wrote this morning...."Welcome sunshine after a rather busy, wet and very dark night with two consecutive cold fronts. I chose to go outside the verboten Traffic Separation Scheme as the sea state inshore must be truly impressive. Also, the wind accelerates significantly around Cape Finistere and there is enough here as it is, and the second front has stalled over the land 50 miles away - the sun has just risen above it. There are quite a few ships on this side of the TSS too. Short naps only to weave amongst the traffic. 
Now to work out the quickest, but not necessarily the windiest route to Les Sables d'Olonne...

Clément Giraud crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe this morning at 09:28:21 hrs UTC after 99d, 20hrs, 08m and 31s of racing. Finishing in 21^st place on Compagnie du Lit/Jiliti, the 40 year old who grew up in Martinique achieves his original target, breaking the 100 days mark, by a matter of 3hrs and 52mins. But Giraud will be doubly satisfied as he very nearly did not make the start at all. After his boat went on fire just before November 2019’s double handed race across the Atlantic his sponsors withdrew from his project. But he was lent the 2006 Farr design by fellow competitor Erik Nigon and Giraud only finally secured the sponsorships of Compagnie du Lit and Jiliti last September.

Today in the podcast, 'Voices from the ocean', find news of Clément Giraud, who should arrive tomorrow morning in Les Sables d'Olonne, and Isabelle Joschke and Sam Davies, two women who went out of the race to complete the loop.

He may be relatively small in stature, quiet and reserved in nature but the Catalan fire-fighter Didac Costa once more captured the hearts and minds of the Les Sables d’Olonne public and ocean racing fans when they watched his return back to the Vendée Globe race dock today after taking 20th place on his second consecutive Vendée Globe, his third back to back non stop round the world race.