Alex in Hugo Bass continues to extend his lead, and provided there are no problems, it looks as if he will increase it. He is making close to 20 knots, a formidable speed, and one can only wonder what it must be like on board when even small waves make the boat shake. How much ishe being thrown around inside that machine of his? How is he managing to get any useful sleep? How are his competitors managing in the same conditions?
Think about how responsive automatic pilots have to be at those speeds.
He is rapidly approaching the area where the Doldrums are to be expected, but there is no obvious calm gap between the Northern (Clockwise) and Southern (Anti-Clockwise) circulatory systems. We had that system on Enza in 1994, but our speed halved to give us our worst day's run of the whole circumnavigation of 186 miles. The wind will ease for a short time, and those behind may catch up a little for a short time, but then they will face the same drop in wind and Alex will be in the Southern Hemisphere and accelerating away, the concertina effect...
Looking down the track, the South Atlantic has an interesting pattern of pressure systems at the moment which will take careful navigation, although by Wednesday, it is becoming more easy to read. It looks as if it will pay to stay not too far off the Brazilian Coast, at least until that turns south westward, and then dive for the Roaring Forties, navigating between calm patches.
Behind Alex, now over 80 miles in the distance, Jean Le Cam, in a non foiler, is in solid second sailing the race of his life. 80 miles may seem a lot but at these speeds it is a lead of only just over four hours! 274 miles further behind, Samantha Davis, the leading lady, is lying 11th just ahead of Boris Herman and both making close to 20 Knots.