Rhythm of the Race An historic ending for PRB. Other continue on thier
boats strung out from the Pacific to well north of the equator. 

Standings table 

Top 3

1. PRB 46 North 4:3 West 
2. Kingfisher 44:2 North 11 West 295 miles
3. Sill 37:4 South 24:4 West 1008 Miles

Fleet round up section

Today will be the day for French sailor Michel Desjoyeaux. He will return
to his home country victorious in the countries premiere event.

He is under 100 miles from the finish. After being pushed rapidly by strong following winds, he is suffering contrary winds as he nears the finsih.

Desjoyeaux will likely finish in around 8 hours, which will be 1530 eastern.

He will become the first person to sail solo around the world in under 100 days. His time will be approximately 92 or 93 days. This will exceed the most optomistic projects and lower the race record 12 or 13 days!

The Sunday Vendee Globe report will have a full report on PRB's finish.

Kingfisher will be next to finish. Ellen Macarthur has 295 miles left to sail.

3rd place Sill is fastest in the fleet at 18.2 knots. Active Wear is 4th trailing Sill by 569 miles.

UBP still leads the fleets closest duel by 15 miles over Sobedo.

Group 4 has a 31 mile advantage over EBP-Gartmore. Gartmore has a 1.7
knot speed advantage.

Skipper Communications

Michel Desjoyeaux PRB "I’m 73 miles from the line, I’m heading 82 degrees and making 10 knots...I’ll get there in 8 hours at best, 2000hrs French Time...The front left me last night and I stayed behind...I had planned it all to have a restful night and was woken at 1 o’clock in th morning because the boat wasn’t moving...then I know it will put a smile on my face to see the boats coming out to meet me and see all the ‘earthlings’ aboard!...My best memory: when I passed into the lead at the Kerguelens after taking an option on the route which looked awful but worked out in the end. The worst memory: the first of January! When I realised that I couldn’t start my engine at all...This is a sport where experience, especially in all things mechanical, does count for a lot. I would change some things if I was to do this all over again. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my weak and strong points."

Ellen Macarthur Kingfisher ". It makes no difference to be a woman too, I was born a woman and I just get on with life. I’m doing this not because I’m a woman but because I want to do this. If you have a dream, you can make it happen. It’s great to have a real passion and to live it out." 

Current Weather Still some hearty conditions remaining on way north for
the front of the fleet.

Weather Forecast Light winds and even calm patches on the approach to the finish at Les Sables.

What does it all mean

Whatever the exact combinations of factors Desjoyeaux has sailed a signifigantly faster race, improving by nearly 13% an historic sail around the world.