Vendee Globe Update: Not much has changed as the boats rocket south toward the Canaries in strong northeasterlies (which will slowly fade, but not before they give Francis Joyon a solid push; see below). Roland Jourdain has racked up a 385 mile day, the best 24-hour run of the race so far. And Vincent Riou on PRB is still leading the pack. Update here. Position table here. Some of the sailors are starting to suggest that Riou is pushing too hard, and setting a pace that will eventually blow the fleet up. But to hear Riou tell it, he’s having a pretty relaxing time:

“All’s well, gliding along. I haven’t been helming much, it’s wet outside and I don’t like the water! I almost have to force myself to go on deck and helm just to check that everything’s balanced as the boat really just sails itself in these conditions. Managing sleep is easy right now and I’m getting 5/6 hours a day in 30 minute chunks and I’ve still got fresh food for a few days.”

If Riou is telling the truth, instead of trying to play with everyone’s head, he could turn out to be a formidable dark horse in this race. He certainly knows his boat PRB well: Riou was responsible for preparing it for winner Michael Desjoyeaux during the last Vendee Globe…



Race-leader Riou: “Heh-heh. They all think I’m sleeping, but instead I’m out here helming my ass off…”