Day 5 Transat Jacques Vabre. Position graphics. (French)

On the Transat Jacques Vabre’s 5450 miles race course from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brazil small changes or differences can quickly become significant. On the fifth day of the race as some of the class leaderships become well established, maintaining a positive mindset and continually focusing on the small detail can prove vital. Racing past Madeira in solid trade winds, the IMOCA Open 60 class remains the closest, most open, competitively fought at this time. While PRB, with Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam took the lead this afternoon again, there is still just 43 miles between first and fifth. Four of the top five, all latest generation boats, have taken at least one turn in the lead.

The MOD70’s pass the Cape Verde islands and set up for the Doldrums. Long time leaders Edmond de Rothschild sailed by Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier, have gybed west and so conceded miles to Sidney Gavignet and Damian Foxall on Oman Air-Musandam.

Class 40 finds the heat of the real action in the peloton where small miles are won and lost. While there has been some compression in frustrating light winds and sloppy seas off Cape Finisterre — what Germany’s Jorg Reichers this afternoon termed the Spanish Doldrums – the escape into the relative slingshot of the Portuguese trade winds has been good for the top two boats especially, GDF SUEZ of Sébastien Rogues and Fabien Delahaye and the Riechers and co-skipper Pierre Brasseur on MARE.