Rhythm of the Race is dominated by the pace of the boats that are sailing in the Southern Hemisphere.  15 of them show double digit speeds with Sill the fastest at 14.9 knots.

Standings table 

Top 3

1.  Aquitaine Innovations Yves Parlier  22:2 South 27:1 West
2.  PRB Michel Desjoyeaux 21:4 South 29:3 West + 145 miles 
3.  Sill Roland Jourdain  19:1 South 25:4 West +155

The leaders sail as if they are in a flying formation serving as each others wing people.

Image courtesy of:

Fleet round up section 

18 boats have crossed the equator.  Russian Fedor Konioukhov sailing Modern University for the Humanities should be next.

Yves Parlier and Aquitaine Innovations have once again stretched their lead.  Today a 41 mile gain on 2nd place PRB and 13 miles on 3rd place Whirlpool.

This lead trio sails in the shape of an arrow with Parlier the southern tip, Whirlpool the east and longer side, with PRB to the west closer to AI.]

The key to retaining their position is judging the correct moment to turn east.  They will start getting NW winds, but an incorrect gybe angle could see them stuck in a large high pressure.  

Skipper Communications  

Fedor Konioukhov Modern University for the Humanities "Now, I am sitting and waiting for the stronger wind to cross the Equator. It’s not a good time to read some books or write skipper notes, when you are drifting with 2 knots."

Javier Sanso Old Spice "If I go upwind more the boat starts getting a pounding and the rig really suffers. It’s been like this for three days now. So I have kept my max speed at 9/10 knots to save the boat.... We will do 25 % of the race in the next week."

Ellen Macarthur Kingfisher "I have found that half the time, when I wake and I check the computer to see what the winds been doing, that I've woken as a result of a small alteration in the direction or speed of the wind. This is reassuring. When the wind increases - the boat heels over more, and when the wind changes direction - she rides the waves at at different angle and frequency - all signs which, even when asleep, I am obviously sensitive to."

Marc Thiercelin Active Wear "Right now I’m going at 12 - 13 knots. I am forever looking closely at my gooseneck and saying at it: "If you break I’ll hit you so hard, d’you understand?".

Catherine Chabaud Whirlpool "). I am above all trying to charge my own batteries. So I make the minimum effort on deck to adjust the main sail. When the wind comes from behind there will be more work on deck to do."

Dominique Wavre UBP "I am sewing up the end of my genoa while I’m here."

Raphael Dinelli Sogal Extenso "The boat needs to be controlled but it’s pretty powerful! I am sailing nearly to the limit as last night the staysail wasn’t enough so I’ve got the solent up with 2 reefs in the main. With one reef in the genoa, the sail would tear."

Didier Munduteguy DDP 60° Sud "My plan is to prepare the boat for the Southern Ocean so the work I have done in the last 4 years will not go to waste and allow me to see these seas."


Current weather conditions  Wind trending east north east/force 4 for the leaders.  East by south for the boats farther back.

Weather Forecast Leaders nearing the NWly flow of the Southern ocean.

What does it all mean

After 20 days at sea the leaders near the Southern Ocean. Bypassing the troublesome high pressure with the correct angle of entry to the Southern Ocean will be a chance for gains and losses.