7.Vendee Globe 2012/13 - Teil 2 - Äquator - Cape Leeuwin

Fotogalerie
Monday 3rd December: AM
Day 22, at the Cape of Good Hope
Welcome to the Land of the Albatross
The first five have passed the Gate of Aiguilles
The gap widens between the front and back of the fleet
More ice

Only 30 minutes. This is the gap that separated the first boat through the Gate of Aiguilles, François Gabart http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/31/francois-gabart.html (MACIF) and the third boat, Armel Le Cléac'h http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/1/armel-le-cleac-h.html (Banque Populaire); a metaphorical photo finish in a race that covers 24,000 miles. It is incredible that the boats are racing so tightly. At 0400 GMT, this morning, there was only a mere 14 miles separating the three leaders in this nail biting edition of the 2012 Vendée Globe.

Cap Esperance
Foto: Olivia Maincent

The lead pack have now entered mythical seas. A place where tales can only be told by a few; tales of the albatross, the tinted grey light, the jet black mountainous savage seas, majestic icebergs and minefields of growlers, large semi-submerged chunks of solid, boat breaking ice.

Bernard Stamm http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/17/bernard-stamm.html (Cheminées Poujoulat) remains in the game 89.2 miles behind. The front fleet have their foot down to make the most of the conditions as the new ice gate at Crozet is showing lighter airs. It's a time for tactical choices and canny decisions. The next 1000 miles for them will be exciting.

Behind them by 182.4 miles, Brit Alex Thomson http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/25/alex-thomson.html (Hugo Boss) crossed the gate this morning, his speeds are slowing and the gap between him and the front four slowly widens.

Around 400 miles behind, Mike Golding http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/12/mike-golding.html (Gamesa) Jean Le Cam http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/16/jean-le-cam.html (SynerCiel), and Dominique Wavre http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/15/dominique-wavre.html 's (Mirabaud) are chomping at the bit with impatience to enter the Indian Ocean; but for them, it will be tomorrow morning. They are struggling with a westerly wind and fickle seas.

The Spaniard Javier Sanso http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/39/javier-sanso.html (Acciona 100% EcoPowered) is still feeling some of the effects of the St Helena High. Sailing at an average speed of only 8 knots, he is frustrated to still be stuck in these light conditions and is eager to push on. Arnaud Bossières http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/10/arnaud-boissieres.html (Akena Verandas), meanwhile, must be beginning to tear his hair out. He is wallowing at the heart of the high, and has only covered 80 miles in the past 24 hours! Tanguy de Lamotte http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/51/tanguy-de-lamotte.html (Initiatives Cœur) in the wake of Arnaud Bossières http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/10/arnaud-boissieres.html (Akena Verandas) is gambling that he can avoid some of the high to the east, while Bertrand De Broc http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/47/bertrand-de-broc.html (Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM) is beginning to make some gains from his southerly route. Of course, Alessandro Di Benedetto http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/skipper/32/alessandro-di-benedetto.html (Team Plastique) happily continues on his merry way. Ice threat

The race partner organizations specializing in satellite observations have discovered (the second ice gate, Crozet has been rising) an abnormal concentration of icebergs, around the Kerguelen Islands. The race direction of the Vendée Globe yesterday informed the skippers that a new gate called Amsterdam (40 ° 00 E 00S/077 ° - 40 ° S/084 ° 00 00 E) must now be passed. The objective is to protect the skippers by preventing the fleet heading too far south in search of better winds but instead discovering greater danger. 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.

PRESS OFFICE Liliane Fretté Communication MEDIA center Tel: +33 (0)1 46 53 53 20 Tel: +33 (0)1 46 53 53 19 FRENCH PRESS pressefrance@vendeeglobe.fr INTERNATIONAL MEDIA intpress@vendeeglobe.fr Skype: sabinamollartrogerson Tel: +33 (0)6 43 86 20 09 +34 666 759 530

03/12 - 4:00 P.M. (UTC)
1 - Jean-Pierre Dick [ Virbac Paprec 3 ] at 18 052.4 miles from the finish
2 - Armel Le Cléac'h [ Banque Populaire ] at 3.7 miles from leader
3 - François Gabart [ MACIF ] at 14.2 miles from leader
4 - Bernard Stamm [ Cheminées Poujoulat ] at 89.2 miles from leader
5 - Alex Thomson [ Hugo Boss ] at 189.4 miles from leader
> FULL RANKING