The runner-up "PRB" with Vincent Riou yesterday at the passage from Cape Horn
The second-placed Frenchman Vincent Riou ("PRB") was only 67 nautical miles behind Le Cam at 11:00 today. The British Mike Golding ("Ecover") has also caught up. He was only around 117 nautical miles short of the front runner.
The restart in the South Atlantic predicted by many observers has taken place. With almost 7,000 nautical miles to the destination Les Sables d'Olonne on the French Atlantic coast, the boats of the top trio are practically level with only around 100 nautical miles.
Le Cam lost most of its lead yesterday afternoon when it got stuck in a light wind zone right on the Cape. At this point, Riou came within 60 nautical miles of him, but then braked in the same wind system and Le Cam was able to keep the distance more or less constant from 7:00 p.m.
While the top trio can now steer further north and thus into warmer regions, at the end of the field the Briton Conrad Humphrey, currently in tenth place and almost 4000 nautical miles back, has to deal with icebergs. Yesterday at 7:00 pm (GMT) he wrote: "One is the size of Wembley Stadium".