Yo yo go go. Yoann Richomme is on top at Gibraltar

In the brisk 20-25 kts of NE’ly winds, speeds are consistently high but the key for Richomme has been being able to hold a long, continuous gybe he has been on since yesterday morning. This morning he is about six miles ahead of Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) as the rivalry which the duo have enjoyed since their days in the Figaro class continues on the biggest, toughest solo race of all, the Vendée Globe. 

After leading through yesterday Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) is installed nicely in third, close to and doing all he can to match Dalin who has a newer, quicker boat. Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) is up to fifth now and has sailed the furthest distance, making 436 nautical miles over the last 24 hours. 

Kiwi Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) is first of the daggerboard boats sailing a great race so far, up among or ahead of many of the foilers and some seven miles ahead of Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur-Duo for a Job). 

Nico Lunven (HOLCIM-PRB) has invested in a more westerly offshore option, as much through prudence, efficiency and economy of effort in the early stages of his first Vendée Globe. He will converge more with the rest of the peloton tomorrow and will be happy enough to see himself ranked as tenth. Double winner of La Solitaire, he confirmed overnight that his problem with his rudder system just before Cape Finisterre cost him three hours or so as he dealt with the issue, sails furled working in the big seas on his transom in 25kts of wind. 

“ I have a piece that got caught under the starboard rudder bar and so it made the bar come loose from its housing, it broke it a little. I realized it quite quickly because the boat was immediately un steerable, it actually caused me to go into a bit of a broach, but as the starboard rudder was more loaded it took me a little while to get the situation back on track! And then I took out the toolbox, it wasn't the most comfortable because there were still 20-25 knots, a bit of sea, straddling the transom to put the bar back in its housing, so it took me two or three hours, something like that! With the boat stopped, the sails furled. Afterwards I was a little more eased back because I wanted to rest, and there you go! And now we're heading due south towards Madeira! Indeed I left on my own in my option, but I will meet up with my friends tomorrow afternoon I think, so the solitude will not have been very long!” 

K.I.S.S.

Isabelle Joshcke (MACSF) in 37th this morning admits that once again she has really struggled to find the right rhythm in these first days of her second Vendée Globe. She is settling into it now and finding her ocean racing dynamic but wound herself up too much, burning herself out with the stress of doing too many manoeuvres to no great effect, “This start to the Vendée Globe wasn't easy aboard MASCF, I clearly didn't find the rhythm I would have liked to find quickly enough after the start. I had the impression I was looking for the rhythm, doing lots of things, but not what I needed to do! Basically, I maneuvered a lot, I was on it all the time, but I had the impression I was doing things backwards all the time, and quite a bit of complicating things for myself instead of simplifying them! It didn't work!

Italy’s Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian) is in 24th this morning, “The first days have passed very well. It was important to pay attention to pay attention for the passage close to Cape Finisterre and I managed that. And now I am passing Lisbon and the wind has been strong. Getting into the race was not easy after the emotions of the important passage of the Channel, it is a time so rich in emotions, but finally when the start was done it was important to be in racing mode and begin to find my set up on board and be focussed. The next 24 hours will be important to take the good windshifts to keep progressing well to the south.”