Slow going still in the Barcelona World Race

First four boats past Gibraltar with headwinds to the Canaries forecast

Image above courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems

At the latest sched (0830GMT - see below) the top four boats in the Barcelona World Race are past Gibraltar and we are already beginning to see a major divisions in the fleet.

Being first out into the Atlantic has proven extremely beneficial - while Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron on race leader Virbac Paprec 3 held a slender 2.2 mile deficit 24 hours ago, since passing Gibraltar at 1955 last night the 2007-8 Barcelona World Race winner has extended his lead to 18 miles, while there is now 70 miles between Virbac Paprec 3 and Boris Herrmann and Ryan Breymeier on Neutrogena in fifth, compared with 32 at the same sched yesterday.

The reasons for this are clear - while there isn't a great deal of pressure anywhere on the race course right now, the leaders have the best of it and have been able to average 6-8 knots over the last hour, compared to those still in the Med were struggling to make four. Getting out of adverse eastbound current has been paramount.

Progress is particularly slow for those in the Med through light winds due to their proximity to an area of high pressure at present parked over Spain. For those past Gibraltar the wind is veering into the southeast and there is more pressure due to a low flying major depression that is out in the Atlantic, at present at the latitude of Portugal. The onset of this depression is going to make the going tough for at least the next two days with the boats facing southwesterly headwinds to the Canaries, before they must cross a ridge at the Canaries - and only then will they be able to get into any downhill trade wind sailing. So with the present forecast the routing has them heading out to the west until the wind veer west when they will tack south.

Dee Caffari and Anna Cordella on Gaes, and the American-German duo on Neutrogena are the next due past Gibraltar.

Positions at 0830