The frontrunners are counting down.

The Vendee Globe lead skippers have approximately one more day before they have to negotiate the centre of a high-pressure system currently around 300 miles south of the leading pack.

It is a key moment in the race, where cool heads will be required. The ability to adapt and react will be key as the high, currently in front of their bows, gives way to another one moving towards St. Helena.

Overnight there has been little change, as the leaders all bide their time in preparation for the shake-up that seems inevitable over the next 24-hours. Second-placed Seb Josse (BT) has closed to within 5 miles of leader Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) and moved slightly closer to his track.
However, while the leaders are steady at 12-14 knots, the boat clocking the fastest times is unquestionably Foncia – in 14th position.

About 350 miles back from the leaders, Michel Desjoyeaux has been regularly hitting 16-17 knots and eating through the miles. Foncia passed to the west of the Isle of Trinidad last night, and is now further south than British skipper Sam Davies (Roxy), who has a line to the east of the islands.

Ahead of them Dominque Wavre (Temenos) has also pulled slightly further south of Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar), again by being on the western side. Jonny Malbon (Artemis) has moved up to 18th position overnight, overhauling Spaniard Unai Baskuro in this morning’s rankings. The 23rd competitor to reach the southern hemisphere, Norbert Sedlacek, also crossed the Equator on Nauticsport-Kapsch early this morning.