Regatta: Vendée Globe: The front runners shiver their way through the highs

Nerves are probably on edge: for the third day in a row, the leading six Open 60s are now feeling their way around the high pressure area ahead of them, which is moving so slowly and unpredictably that everyone is worried they might get caught in the doldrums right in the centre while the rest of the field sails on.

Thomas Ruyant described the situation yesterday as follows:

"The sky is a bit grey, the sea is pretty flat, I've set all the sail I've got. I keep the boat at a wind angle so that it keeps moving and doesn't slow down, sort of heading east. It's much less cold. These are very light wind conditions, we're going to have this for a few more days, not exactly the best conditions for our boats. We have hulls that have a lot of drag in the water with the foils. It's a slow Vendée this time, even though our beautiful boats can sail so fast. Since the end of the Atlantic, we've had conditions that don't allow us to sail really fast. But it's a race, not a record race, that's the difference. The important thing is to position yourself correctly, to be there before the others. It's always great when a new record is set at the finish - but it won't be this time. I'm in no hurry to get home as long as the bars in lockdown are closed!"

Boris Herrmann sent a video yesterday with a short tour of the deck of the ship, which shows how calm the conditions are, it almost looks like a calm day in the Mediterranean.

A tour of the deck by Boris Herrmann

Louis Burton actually managed to stay in the weather system of the leading group last night with his "Bureau Vallée 2" by the skin of his teeth. If he copes well with the storm front that will reach him tomorrow, he could catch up with the leaders, who were over 800 nautical miles away when he repaired his mast track for the main.

It's bitter 1000 nautical miles further back in the field: Clarisse Cremer ("Banque Populaire") and Roman Attanasio ("Pure Best Western") have now run into a headwind, had to tack away from the target direction yesterday and are now sailing almost due north. As a result, Armel Tripon and his "L'Occitane" gained a lot of speed - only to find themselves in the doldrums today.