New IMOCA 60 24 hour record for Virbac-Paprec 3

Barcelona World Race leaders should keep the breeze to Gough Island

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Positions at 0830 GMT

Christ on a bike... Yes, they're in the leading duo in the Barcelona World Race, but over the 24 hours up to the latest sched, Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron on Virbac Paprec 3 have covered 503 miles. We think the previous 24 hour record for IMOCA 60s was held by Alex Thomson and Hugo Boss with 501.3 miles and we understand that the blue IMOCA 60's 24 hour run peaked at 516.37 miles up until 0900 GMT today, which represents an average speed of 21.51 knots (this is all subject to ratification by the WSSRC).

As a result of their eating up the ocean so Virbac Paprec 3 has closed to 27.9 miles from leader Michel Desjoyeaux and Francois Gabart on Foncia.

These high speeds are good news for the race leaders as any miles they bank now are exponentially valuable to them. It will mean that the front chasing them from the west will pass them later, probably sometime tomorrow, and they will be able get past the mandatory waypoint of Gough Island in breeze. Unlike the boats astern of them.

At the latest sched Foncia had 414 miles to go to Gough, while Virbac had 442, Mapfre, which has pulled up to third place, is 723 miles away and former leader Estrella Damm is 789 miles away.