Last competitor restarts Vendee Globe

by Vendee Globe media on 17 Nov 2008
At 16h17'33' GMT Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty became the final competitor to re-start. Having repaired small cracks in the deck and hull of Maisonneuve, he set off more than 400 miles behind Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Spirit of Canada).

Lining up to pass the Cape Verde Islands, Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) has a lead of just over 30 miles over Seb Josse (BT). Since losing slightly early yesterday, Josse - sailing the Farr design which was built in Cowes - has held pace almost to the mile with the vastly experienced Peyron, repositioning himself to Peyron's east as they pick their lines through the island group.

The island passage presents a big opportunity for gains and losses. To the east the breeze may be slightly stronger overnight but there are lighter winds ahead on this track. In third place, Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux), looks a possible candidate to run this line in the east, a strategy that served him well at Madeira. Otherwise it looks like both Gitana Eighty and BT will stay between the islands, with Santo Antao and San Nicolau to starboard. Back in fourth to sixth places Jean Pierre Dick, Vincent Riou and Armel Le Cléac'h, are between 85 and 106 miles behind the leader and look set to pass to the west of the islands, paralleling the rhumb line - which passes through the islands. Through the last 24 hours the margin separating the second wave from the leading trio has extended as the leaders were first to wriggle progressively free of a ridge of light winds and into better breeze.

Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) in ninth and Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) the top international, non-French skipper, in 10th have less than two miles separating them in terms of DTF (distance to finish) but Beyou is more than 20 miles to Golding's SE, closer to the rhumb line. Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) in 12th is making a move to get west after losing miles over the last 24 hours.

Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) has lost his 19th place again in his rivalry with Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia). 200 miles west of the Canary Islands this afternoon, Michel Desjoyeaux has made the best average speed of the fleet!

Voices at sea...

Michel Desjoyeaux, (Foncia):'I had moved west of the Canary Islands to stay with the wind but as the leaders slowed down I have been able to catch them up a little, to reduce the gap a little.' 'If I can keep my west position it could be an advantage to choose at the last time how to get through the Doldrums. At the moment I am just trying to go as fast as I can. I drive the boat as much as I can, when the weather is good, and it has been for two days. Then you can see there are four boats around the Canaries, and they are the next I would like to pass. But I know that it will get more difficult as I move in among the newer boats.'

Jonny Malbon, GBR (Artemis):'My hand was forced a long time ago to take a more easterly route and since then I have been making good ground on Steve (White) and Dee (Caffari), which is really good, but the next 48 hours will be crucial I think.'

Seb Josse, (BT):'The important thing is to be in the right pack, the actual positioning is less an issue. It's very satisfying to have sailed well, to have taken the right options. Then again, it's not like we have been the first ones to enter the Southern Ocean, the Doldrums still have to be crossed and that can obliterate our lead. The Cape Verde Islands passage is another story, there are several ways in and out, it's an interesting tactical moment.'

Standings at 1500GMT, Day 7.
1- Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) 21666 miles to finish
2- Seb Josse (BT) at + 35.7 miles
3- Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 38.4 miles to
4- Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at + 85.2 miles
5- Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 106.2 miles

Selected international:
10- Mike Golding, GBR, (ECOVER 3) at + 155.9 miles
11-Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 248.7 miles
12- Sam Davies, GBR,(ROXY) at + 261.9 miles
13- Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) + 303.4 miles
16- Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) + at 410.9 miles
17- Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 431.4 miles
18- Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 441.7 miles
19- Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) + 557.7 miles
20-Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) + 559.4 miles