Despite breaking his main halyard for the third time Mike Golding has, overnight, closed the gap on second placed Jean Le Cam to just 31.7 miles and is only 132 miles from Vincent Riou, the Vendee Globe leader. And with approximately 10 days to the finish (current eta Tuesday 1 Feb) there is every chance things will change dramatically on the final stretch to Les Sables d’lonne.

Further down the fleet Sébastien Josse (VMI) and Dominique Wavre (Temenos) are picking their way through the Doldrums sailing at an average of 4kts. Wavre whose main runner backstay broke last Wednesday has recovered well. He had to bring the boat to a complete standstill last Thursday and carry out temporary repairs which fortunately seem to be holding out He is currently in fifth place, 900 miles behind the leader and a few miles astern of Josse.

Anne Liardet (Roxy) is continuing her progress in the Pacific and should round Cape Horn tomorrow in 12th position

The weather outlook for the leader shows that the north-easterly trades will veer round to the east, then south-east. As a result he will hit downwind conditions which will be pumped up by the depression over Newfoundland creating a high speed finish.

Rankings (04h00 GMT)

1 PRB Vincent Riou 19 45.40′ N 33 56.72′ W 2247.8 miles to finish, 2 Bonduelle Jean Le Cam 16 37.40′ N 32 03.12′ W 2348.7 miles to finish, 101.0 miles to leader

3 Ecover Mike Golding 15 47.64′ N 31 40.24′ W 2380.5 miles to finish, 132.7 miles to leader

4 VMI Sébastien Josse 0 59.84′ N 29 33.52′ W 3135.4 miles to finish, 887.6 miles to leader

5 Temenos Dominique Wavre 0 49.52′ N 29 53.12′ W 3151.9 miles to finish, 904.1 miles to leader

6 Virbac-Paprec Jean-Pierre Dick 22 38.32′ S 34 00.40′ W 4560.6 miles to finish, 2312.8 miles to leader

7 Skandia Nick Moloney 27 33.60′ S 45 19.12′ W 5066.2 miles to finish, 2818.4 miles to leader

8 Arcelor Dunkerque Joé Seeten 33 51.68′ S 40 54.00′ W 5318.4 miles to finish, 3070.6 miles to leader

9 Hellomoto Conrad Humphreys 40 36.84′ S 45 16.96′ W 5773.4 miles to finish, 3525.6 miles to leader

10 Ocean Planet Bruce Schwab 42 48.40′ S 55 25.64′ W 6100.7 miles to finish, 3853.0 miles to leader

11 Max Havelaar / Best Western Benoît Parnaudeau 49 54.08′ S 55 35.84′ W 6469.9 miles to finish, 4222.1 miles to leader

12 ROXY Anne Liardet 55 13.88′ S 83 16.36′ W 7561.3 miles to finish, 5313.5 miles to leader

13 AKENA Vérandas Raphaël Dinelli 54 04.40′ S 91 33.96′ W 7857.2 miles to finish, 5609.4 miles to leader

14 Benefic Karen Leibovici 51 03.28′ S 105 52.08′ W 8407.3 miles to finish, 6159.5 miles to leader