Vendée Globe: Charlie gets ahead, Boris catches up - and the sledging continues

The jags in the course lines of the now only 38 participants in the Vendée Globe always make you anxious - especially in phases like these, when almost all skippers report tough conditions and their boats are gradually becoming susceptible to males.

Late this morning, Justine Mettraux suddenly pointed her bow to the south, away from the wind. The current tenth-placed sailor will thus give Boris Herrmann miles, who is on a roll anyway. With a total of 483 nautical miles, he had already taken 35 miles off her since yesterday. It is not yet clear what caused the Swiss woman to turn round. It could simply be a thorough check of the boat or a sail change; but of course damage is also not unlikely.

This morning, after unwrapping his Christmas present (cinnamon stars), Boris himself announced that he would soon have to slow down to complete the repairs to his working jib. He will need the J2 in the fast reaching conditions that await him and his immediate companions: Justine, Sam Davies and Clarisse Crémer.

The Frenchwoman was back on form in the morning: After two long naps during the night, she has clearly put the strain of the repair to the upper foil bearing behind her. She is fifth fastest in the current 24-hour ranking and wants to do everything she can to catch up with her closest rivals again. Her husband's spirited performance may also have spurred her on.

Tanguy Le Turquais never ceases to impress. The "Lazare" skipper, who is sailing his first Vendée Globe, has improved another place since yesterday and is now sailing in 18th position - in the middle of a small but poisonous storm depression.

Because many others, such as Isabelle Joschke and Jean Le Cam, have swerved a good 250 nautical miles to the north, Tanguy has no small tactical advantage, especially as he is out of the strongest part of the Agulhas Current, while his pursuers still have to cross it twice, which can involve cross-seas and increase the risk of collisions with whales or flotsam. A strong race from him so far!

And then, of course, there is Charlie Dalin: first, unchallenged, and by far the fastest over the past 24 hours. He continues to kayak eastwards along the ice edge and has already pulled away from Seb Simon in second place by almost 200 nautical miles. Although he is currently still around one day's distance behind the previous Vendée record holder Armel Le Cléac'h, he is already 2,000 nautical miles ahead of where Yannick Bestaven was four years ago.

No doubt his decision to stay ahead of the storm will be a reference point for determination and navigational excellence for years to come, regardless of the outcome of the race. Charlie is a skipper who can make the difference. And this is further proof of his exceptional status.

Even Yoann Richomme, Thomas Ruyant and Jérémie Béyou showed between the lines or explicitly in their comments from on board how much they are struggling with the current situation, how Charlie and Seb's courageous decision makes them doubt their own.

The next few hours will be the hardest for Béyou, Nico Lunven, Paul Meilhat, Sam Goodchild and Yannick Bestaven, as they have fallen into a high pressure bridge from the back of the depression. After the instability of the wind caused them problems during the night, they are now lacking propulsion overall. Good for Boris - he may not be able to get within striking distance, but he will be able to close the gap to positions nine to five over the next few days.