Unexpected low

Defi Atlantique fleet due for another reshuffle

Positions at 0500

Pos	Skipper	Latitude	Longitude	DTF	DTL
1	Mike GOLDING	N140308	W0293698	2446.7	0
2	Vincent RIOU	N135560	W0293652	2453.2	6.5
3	Sébastien JOSSE	N132612	W0294596	2483.7	37
4	Nick MOLONEY	N130956	W0300272	2505.8	59.1
5	Jean Pierre DICK	N142192	W0322756	2508.9	62.2
6	Alex THOMSON	N143840	W0330636	2513.6	66.9
7	Benoît LEQUIN	N104012	W0294712	2633.6	186.9
8	Joe SEETEN	N115720	W0322764	2635.4	188.7
9	Benoît PARNAUDEAU	N102512	W0325684	2730.1	283.4
10	Anne LIARDET	N090828	W0324332	2792.2	345.5

Those that took the easterly option through the Doldrums at the end of last week have been reaping the rewards over the week, with Mike Golding on board Ecover pulling out a small lead over Vincent Riou's PRB, just six miles to the south.

Meanwhile last Friday's leaders Alex Thomson on AT Racing and Jean-Pierre Dick on board Virbac have respectively dropped to sixth and fifth place - at the back of the lead group of boats.

However the story is far from over. The boats are at present to the west of the Cape Verdes islands and benefitting from an unusually positions low centred to the northwest at 24N 34W. The weather charts show that those to the east are currently in Trade Wind type conditions, the wind blowing from the northeast while those to the west are more under the influence of this low pressure and have winds from the south.

The depression is set to track south over the next 24 hours and tomorrow morning should see Thomson and Dick sailing in 30 knot southerlies - very unusual for this part of the ocean - while those to the east will be in less pressure. While these conditions should certainly benefit Thomson and Dick it is possible that Golding and Riou to the west will try and converge.