Blistering pace from youngest skipper in the Vendee Globe

As the leaders sail east at warp speed

Leaders anticipating a fast day finally having rounded the Crozet ice gate

As Banque Populaire is fully nailed by the high at the Crozet ice gate

High pressure moving over the Crozet ice gates closes the door for all but the race leadeer

But he and Bernard Stamm are likely to find a high over the next icegate when they arrive there tomorrow

As Banque Populaire resumes control en route to the second icegate

The three way battle for first place continues with Armel le Cleac'h back in front

Francois Gabart regains the lead as frontrunners close on the first ice gate

As Alex Thomson's solo monohull 24 hour record is broken and possibly rebroken at the latest sched

Virbac Paprec 3 closes to within 55 miles of the race leader

Jean-Pierre Dick and Dominique Wavre eating up the miles in strong northerlies

Jean-Pierre Dick waiting for the northerlies to fill in as Banque Populaire slows

Armel le Cleac'h makes a bold move, cutting the corner as he dices with the St Helena high

Fast-moving eastbound weather is set to make for a tough journey towards the Southern Ocean

Shroud damage impossible to repair

Jean-Pierre Dick and Alex Thomson on the rise

Leaders set to slow today as PRB has a collision and Stamm reveals sail damage

Further casualty in the Vendee Globe as Vincent Riou's yacht suffers hull and shroud damage

Race leaders contemplate their South Atlantic strategies

As seven boats are penalised for wrongly crossing the traffic separation scheme off Finisterre

Vincent Lauriot Prevost and Quentin Lucet on some surprising developments with their latest designs

Banque Populaire still ahead as there is compression across the fleet

Banque Populaire piling on the miles again as Golding takes a westerly option

But the passage is lining up to be a quick one, as Alex Thomson turns boatbuilder

As the race leaders charge south to the Doldrums

Banque Populaire extends while PRB is on a charge as the boats approach the Cape Verdes

Compression at the front of the fleet as Banque Populaire eases ahead