Bis Repetita…
Not much change from Tuesday, there are still nine sailors in the southern hemisphere, which Guy, 40 miles to the north, should cross overnight. He is the only member of the northern group to have wind as it is backing southwards, further glueing Ian, Arnaud and Elliot to the water. The wind for them will not return until Friday, when a low pressure should cross their path and finally get them out of the tropical slump.
Damien is consolidating his 6th place and widening the gap with Ertan, who is still in the rhythm to the East, but who has seen a cargo ship too close for his taste, Jeremy who is still slower than usual, and Michael who is struggling to keep up with the pace set by the ex-Figaro sailor. Damien is usually 5 to 10% faster than his direct rivals, 300 miles behind the Club of 5, and 600 behind Simon.
At the forefront, Abhilash crossed 15 miles ahead of Tapio during the night but continues to sail a 20° higher course without really gaining any speed on him. We will see the result at Trindade island on Sunday or Monday. To the west, Kirsten seems to be looking for the southerly currents along the Brazilian coast, making her route longer and losing ground for the moment, but we know she likes daring options that eventually pay off in the long run.
In the lead, Simon has posted the best 24-hour distance of the fleet with 142 miles, and is heading full-on towards Trindade, 350 miles away, with a 250-mile lead over Abhilash.
