The elastic has tightened in the front of the fleet as Maître CoQ tries to work through a patch of lighter winds with speed reduced to 6 knots. Apivia is now only 97 miles behind and making 16 knots. This situation is unlikely to last as Apivia will slow as she gets to the lighter winds.
So with 5,000 miles to the finish, the race is getting closer and it’s a question of who picks up the trade winds which are just to the north. Groupe-Apicil is making 12 knots, 204 miles from the lead with Linked Out just 10 miles further back which was making 15 knots. Just 500 miles separates the first ten boats and with calm winds now, at the Equator and very likely in the North Atlantic from the Azores High, this race is far from decided.
Four boats should round Cape Horn today including Pip Hare, still in 17th place, leaving nine boats yet to get there with Merci still 4,600 miles to the Cape bringing up the tail end. Miranda Merron has 1,900 miles to go to get round.
The giant Maxi trimaran Edmond de Rothschild with six crew lead by Co-Skippers Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier left the start line off Brest yesterday morning in its attempt to break the record for the fastest non stop circumnavigation. This is their second attempt this season as they had to pull out at the end of November when they struck something and damage a rudder and foil. To obtain the Jules Verne Trophy they must finish by 0200 on the 20th February.