And then off the Brazilian coast there is a group trying to make it into the SE’ly trade winds, from Jérémie Beyou, Charal, 4th to Sam Davies, Initiatives Cœur in 13th.

ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE

After more than 60 days of racing skippers are still pushing their limits. By comparison the leading trio are in the home straight and right now have it relatively easy. Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance, 1st), Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA, 2nd) and Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil, 3rd) appear much luckier. The top two are approaching a ridge of high pressure with lighter winds, 500 miles WSW of the Canaries, but they almost have the scent of home in their nostrils, ticking off the last maritime milestones as they climb north.

“Today, they are getting into in a ridge of high pressure, the wind is slightly less strong (7 to 10 knots rather than 15). As soon as they emerge from it tomorrow, they’ll start to hit stronger and stronger winds again,” explains Basile Rochut, the Vendée Globe weather consultant.

The leading duo  are expected to pass south-east of the Azores but there still seems a chance the race could be decided in an anticyclonic bubble which is forming around Brittany which could force them to make several tacks down from Brittany – ironically maybe even taking them back past their real home waters – until the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne. For the moment it appears the finish for Dalin should probably take place on Tuesday afternoon, Yoann Richomme is expected a few hours later. Dalin’s lead has opened very slightly and stands at 180 nautical miles this afternoon.

Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil, 3rd) is also making progress in the trade winds. The low pressure system that will give strong winds to the first two will force him to make a tactical choice: either to pass to the north-west, at the risk of being slowed down a little, or to the south-west and be confronted with stronger winds.

BEYOU ON TOP OF BATTLE OFF BRAZIL

Some 2100 miles further south, it’s still a battle off the Brazilian coast between seven skippers who are equally determined to take the best possible finishing position. Those in the West – closest to the coast now led by Jérémie Beyou (Charal, 4th) and Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE, 5th) seem to have taken a slight advantage. To their East, Paul Meilhat (Biotherm, 8th) and Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB, 9th) are trying to catch back up making multiple tacks upwind.

All are now starting to get out of the area where the unsettled, unpredictable storms were the most intense, only Justine Mettraux (Teamwork – TeamSnef, 10th) could still be affected.

Behind this group, the situation is similar for Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence, 11th), Sam Davies (Initiative Cœur, 13th) and Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environnement – Water Family, 12th). Crémer and Davies, further west, should benefit from a low pressure system that will allow them to retain the best wind. Vendée sailor Dutreux is out east looking for the wind shift which will take him north.

GROUPS GROW,  NOT ALWAYS TO EVERYONE’S LIKING

And then 980 miles further south there is a new battle. As this week has progressed, the duo of Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL, 14th) and Romain Attanasio (Fortinet- Best Western, 15th) has grown to become a quartet as Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère – Armor Lux, 17th) and Alan Roura (Hublot, 16th) benefited from better weather. These four are currently fighting with the high pressure system and then it will be their turn to be blocked by the permanent cold front off Brazil in two days’ time. As a result, they could also be caught in the medium term by Isabelle Joschke (MACSF, 18th), Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian, 19th) as well as Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V, out of the race).

These three sailors are benefiting from the southerly wind on the edge of the same high pressure system which will allow them to come back. Swiss skipper Alan Roura is not so overjoyed to see people catching him up from behind.

NOTORIOUS CAPE HORN LOW PRESSURE

Isabelle Joschke and Giancarlo Pedote have avoided a by now notorious depression that has deepened and is blocking the course south of the South Atlantic. Average winds ranging from 35 to 45 knots, gusts of more than 50 knots and waves of nearly 5 metres are challenging Conrad Colman (MS Amlin, 22nd), Louis Duc (Fives Group – Lanta Environnement, 23rd), Sébastien Marsset (FOUSSIER, 24th), Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com, 25th), Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One, 26th).

“Passing between the Falklands and the AEZ the  escape corridor is very narrow,” says weather ace Rochut, who confirms  that they “will get out of the strong wind tomorrow morning”.

And there are those who put the brakes on to let the depression pass – Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline, 27th), Violette Dorange (Devenir, 28th) and Éric Bellion (STAND AS ONE – Altavia, 29th) – are on the way to rounding Cape Horn this Thursday afternoon.

Further back close to the longitude of Point Nemo, another low pressure system is coming in for Oliver Heer (Tut Gut., 30th), Antoine Cornic (HUMAN Immobilier, 31st) and Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 32nd) have had more than 35 knots, up to 6 metres of sea and the bitter cold still gnawing at them all the time, around 3°C.

Jingkun Xu also has to watch for the possible presence of icebergs on the same route as Oliver Heer who spotted one on Wednesday. “The race management is doing a remarkable job in this area. I have my alarms and I have increased my vigilance. After that, we can’t be outside 100% of the time monitoring and at night, we have to trust the equipment and our radars.”

The skipper of Singchain Team Haikou also admits that he “was nervous and stressed” and “kept an eye on them even more”. During the video sessions, Jingkun also said that he is still taking painkillers to relieve his aching shoulder. But there is no question of complaining: he likes to remind people that he “was prepared to endure this”. And the rookie concluded modestly, largely in unison with the other skippers: