Charlie Dalin (APIVA) maintains his Vendee Globe lead ahead of Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2).
At the 14:00 check, Dalin has gybed off the Finisterre DST to head north into the Bay of Biscay in a lighter breeze.
Louis Burton had broken away earlier and also gone north . . . maintaining his speed advantage . . . to join the Ruyant and Bestaven.
Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) in fourth, and fifth placed Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV, went north earlier, and all three have now gybed towards Les Sables d’Olonne.
They will hope to come in come faster to close down the leading pair, but it could be too late.
In terms of the time/distance deltas and the compensations, right now Dalin could just win outright but a realistic appraisal will only really be possible when all are heading towards Les Sables d’Olonne.
Vendée Globe Leaders – Day 79 – Tue 26 Jan – Updated at 21:00 hrs UK
1st FRA Charlie Dalin – APIVIA – 337 nm to finish – sailing at 11+ knots
2nd FRA Boris Herrmann – SEAEXPLORER – 72 nm – sailing at 17+ knots
3rd FRA Louis Burton – BUREAU VALLEE 2 – 97 nm – sailing at 17+ knots
4th FRA Thomas Ruyant – LinkedOut – 202 nm
5th FRA Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ IV – 240 nm
6th FRA Damien Seguin – GROUPE APICIL – 304 nm
7th FRA Giancarlo Pedote – PRYSMIAN GROUP – 369 nm
8th FRA Jean Le Cam – Yes we Cam! – 461 nm
9th FRA Benjamin DUTREUX – OMIA – WATER FAMILY – 623 nm
10th FRA Maxime SOREL – V and B-MAYENNE – 861 nm
GBR:
19th GBR Pip Hare – Medallia – 3353 nm
22nd GBR Miranda Merron – Campagne de France – 4462 nm
Retired:
Nicolas Troussel, Alex Thomson, Kevin Escoffier, Alex Thomson, Sebastien Simon, Sam Davies, Fabrice Amedo, Isabelle Joschke, Sébastien Destremau