Armel Le Cléac’h remains slowed by the light winds near the centre of the high pressure zone which is now almost right over the top of the Crozet gate. On Banque Populaire his descent to the south is still pedestrian paced, making only five or six knots. New leader François Gabart on Macif is sailing downwind now making only about 11kts and he has some 265 miles to make to break the east end of the gate. And by the looks of things the final 100 miles or so, as it stands just now, can be in very light winds. So Le Cléac’h must take his medecine just now, but Banque Populaire is sailing away from the high, but the four chasers are having to head back into it.
Alex Thomson appears to have gybed again, hitching a little more east on Hugo Boss, perhaps in a windshift, but he has some 430 miles to sail NE to break the east extremity of the gate.
Making a rather nice charge from the left of picture, from the west, now are the ‘three musketeers’ Golding, Le Cam and Wavre, in that order now. They are making over 15kts of boat speed on brisk westerly winds and are clawing back some very nice miles on the leaders, and should continue to do so through the night. There is just nine miles of lateral separation between them and Golding has his nose in front by just 14 miles.
