Louis Burton, now up to second, is starting to see his westerly route pay a dividend.
Burton has negotiated the western side of the high pressure zone quickest and is sailing faster and back on a more direct route.
He has a narrow band of breeze to work but his position, some 70 miles north of the latitude of Charlie Dalin (Apivia), looks like he might overhaul Dalin when they converge near the Azores.
The gap will not be that much, but Burton looks like he has five knots more wind where he is.
The slightest increase in pressure allows him to pull the bow down and go faster more directly towards Les Sables d’Olonne, sailing low and more directly.
Vendée Globe Leaders – Day 75 – Fri 22 Jan – 21:00 hrs UK
1st FRA Charlie Dalin – APIVIA – – 1674 nm to finish – sailing at 16+ knots
2nd FRA Louis Burton – BUREAU VALLEE 2 – 4 nm – sailing at 17+ knots
3rd FRA Boris Herrmann – SEAEXPLORER – 117 nm
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant – LinkedOut – 108 nm
5th FRA Damien Seguin – GROUPE APICIL – 143 nm
6th FRA Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ IV – 154 nm
7th FRA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYSMIAN GROUP – 225 nm
8th FRA Jean Le Cam – Yes we Cam! – 375 nm
9th FRA Benjamin DUTREUX – OMIA – WATER FAMILY – 452 nm
10th FRA Maxime SOREL – V and B-MAYENNE – 653 nm
GBR:
17th GBR Pip Hare – Medallia – 3249 nm
22nd GBR Miranda Merron – Campagne de France – 4305 nm
Retired:
Nicolas Troussel, Alex Thomson, Kevin Escoffier, Alex Thomson, Sebastien Simon, Sam Davies, Fabrice Amedo, Isabelle Joschke, Sébastien Destremau