Fotogalerie
Thursday 29th November
Day 18, 19194.7 miles from the finish
It's a Waiting Game
Armel Le Cléac'h maintains his lead
Jean Le Cam makes a kill
Happy 49th Birthday Bernard Stamm
Armel Le Cléac'h
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/1/armel-le-cleac-h.html>
(Banque Populaire) is holding onto to his lead as he picks his way through the light winds, near the ridge, northwest of the anticyclone of St. Helena. But, coming from a more southerly aspect, his pursuers are beginning to accelerate ahead of the front of the depression that has been brewing in the west, near Argentina.
The weather situation remains complex and uncertain for the leader of the fleet, Armel Le Cléac'h http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/1/armel-le-cleac-h.html>
(Banque Populaire), who is tracking the theoretical shortest route. He has maintained a cushion of miles between him and the chasing pack. But for how long?
Alex Thomson
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/25/alex-thomson.html>
(Hugo Boss), in 2nd place pursues the same route, 147 miles away with his fingers crossed, hoping his losses are not too severe and birthday boy, Bernard Stamm
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/17/bernard-stamm.html>
(Cheminées Poujoulat), who is 49 today, sits in 3rd place, 194 miles behind the leader and 50 miles in front of the breaking pack who headed south in search of wind.
François Gabart
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/31/francois-gabart.html> <
(MACIF) and Jean-Pierre Dick
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/13/jean-pierre-dick.html>
(Virbac Paprec 3) are in the best position to feel first the benefits of their brave, but calculated, decisions. They are now experiencing the early effects of the depression as the front advances from the west, off the coast of Argentina. Speeding along at slightly more than 17 knots average over the last hour, they are free of the tight grip of the light airs that previously frustrated them and are beginning to catch up.
"We've finally left for the" fantastic rides! MACIF slides on a flat sea all. Full Moon (this time it is good) as a guide " Confided an elated Gabart in his night time message.
The temperatures onboard are cooling as the fleet head south and the skippers break out another layer. "The air is cooled. I took a shower late yesterday afternoon and put on a new set of sub layers. I have a feeling that I will not remove them any time soon." Said Gabart.
The Brit Hunting
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/article/4287/le-cam-cries-i-m-hunting-brits.html>,
Jean Le Cam
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/16/jean-le-cam.html>
(SynerCiel) has made his kill and jumped into 6th place, flying along at 17 knots too, now ahead of Mike Golding
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/12/mike-golding.html>
(Gamesa), who is slightly slower. This morning Golding said, "I'm just waiting for a bit more wind which should be coming but it's a bit frustrating because it has not come through as expected just yet. I have just 10 knots of wind at the moment. I changed down from the Code Zero to the Genoa and if it is going to stay like this I need to think about changing back up, but at the moment I'd lose as much in the change, so I'm just hanging on to see if it happens." But the fastest west this morning, was Dominique Wavre
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/15/dominique-wavre.html>
(Mirabaud) not wanting to be left behind from his fellow senior sailors he has put his foot on the gas and covered 381.8 miles yesterday.
Leading the from the rear
At the back, leading the chasing pack in this morning's ranking is Javier Sanso
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/39/javier-sanso.html>
(Acciona 100% EcoPowered) who sits in 9th place. He has covered almost 400 miles in the last 24 hours onboard his Owen Clarke 60, Acciona 100% EcoPowered. He's clawed back 130 miles on the leader over the same time period, but is still more than 600 miles away. Also very fast, Arnaud Bossières
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/10/arnaud-boissieres.html>
(Akena Verandas) overnight has snatched 10th place from a resigned Tanguy de Lamotte
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/51/tanguy-de-lamotte.html>
(Initiatives Cœur), despite Lamotte managing to maintain averages of nearly 14 knots. Lamotte was resigned to this inevitability
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/article/4731/the-vendee-globe-2012-chess-championship-commences.html>
yesterday on web tv Vendée Globe LIVE
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xveqx1_replay-live-du-27-novembre-2012_sport&start=2370>.
Bertrand De Broc
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/47/bertrand-de-broc.html>
(Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM) is bearing down fast on the chasing group. He was the second fastest in the Vendée Globe fleet this morning, having covered 374.2 miles since yesterday. Even the salad growing, sea gardener, Alessandro Di Benedetto
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/32/alessandro-di-benedetto.html>
(Team Plastique) made hay yesterday, sailing around the 300 miles in 24 hours. These fast conditions at the back of the fleet could provide a great opportunity to pull back some miles from the front-runners. Of course, they too have to negotiate the windless vacuum of the ridge of St Helena but the models are predicting that she will not be as light for them. The fleet is compressing and it promises to be a fantastic race ahead, into the heart of the southern ocean.
Watch web tv Vendée Globe LIVE
http://www.dailymotion.com/VendeeGlobeTV>
every day at midday GMT to watch the latest news LIVE from the race track.
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Tel: +33 (0)1 46 53 53 19
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29/11 - 4:00 A.M.
1 - Armel Le Cléac'h
[ Banque Populaire ]
at 19194.7 miles from the finish
2 - Alex Thomson
[ Hugo Boss ]
at 147.1 miles from leader
3 - Bernard Stamm
[ Cheminées Poujoulat ]
at 194.7 miles from leader
4 - Francois Gabart
[ MACIF ]
at 229.2 miles from leader
5 - Jean-Pierre Dick
[ Virbac-Paprec 3 ]
at 234.1 miles from leader
> FULL RANKING
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/>
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