The leaders of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, Tom Laperche and Charles Caudrelier, head south in a steadily building trade wind, some 610 miles north of the Equator.
Friday afternoon, the leaders have opened a gap. Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue) and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) are now more than 180 miles ahead of their nearest rivals.
They gybed early in the morning and are heading due south looking for the trade winds and to get closer to the doldrums.
Thursrday afternoon, the two men were only around thirty miles ahead!
Behind, the speeds of Armel Le Cléac’h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) have been patchy, indicating he has had some problems perhaps.
In the morning around 06:00 hrs he was around 5kts and heading NW, and then this afternoon again he was as slow as 13kts but Banque Populaire XI is making 24.6 kts this afternoon.
Very much at the same kind of speeds as the pacemakers whilst he is racing in less breeze.
