Loïck Peyron keeps steady lead in Vendée Globe

[Source: Vendée Globe] Towards the end of his third consecutive day in the lead of the Vendée Globe, Loïck Peyron’s lead remains a static, but satisfactory 14 miles, the same margin he has maintained through since the early morning over Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux).

To the west, Dick, Riou and Le Cléac’h are digging back towards the leader, as all three take on a course which is now east of south. Those to their east have been 1-1.5 knots quicker, and Le Cam is virtually paralleling the African coast of Mauritania, 300 miles inshore, and he has been consistently just a fraction quicker than Peyron. As night falls and the next sched is some nine hours off, perhaps we will see them work progressively closer to the coast where there could be more breeze?

Josse was 22 miles due west of Peyron’s line this evening and from Gitana Eighty to VM Matériaux there is 65 miles of lateral distance. Overall from west to east – VM Matériaux to eighth placed Roland Jourdain on Veolia Environnement – the corridor measures 140 miles.

Day 6 of the Vendée Globe. Near the Canary Islands, 15 November 2008. Video copyright Vendée Globe

Bilou (Veolia Environnement) has increased his lead over Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) by about 4 miles over the sched, but Ecover seems to have lost some 14 hard earned miles against the leaders.

With her lucky red socks now presumably washed and dried, and her hair squeaky clean, Sam Davies has been rewarded with another evening gain and is back through Arnaud Boissieres who went far left of the track. Roxy lies 12th tonight, although worryingly Akena Verandas looks to be picking up breeze again in the east.

And in the Basque-Vendée duel over 19th place, Unai Basurko has lost his morning gain back to Raphael Dinelli.