s a result, Belgacom is just 96 miles (178 km) ahead at the first of the day's position check-ins on Firday 14th November. Better still, overnight Gitana has gnawed away at Sodebo and now five boats are just ahead of the blue and white hulled trimaran. The way things are, anything is possible in a somewhat asthmatic wind at the Doldrums where how a boat sails is dependent upon the clouds. Should they avoid the big cumulonimbus giving rise to strong rain with or without wind ? Might it not be better to try and sneak in just along the very edge to use the peripheral winds ? As Loïck Peyron on Belgacom puts it : "there is no room for science ! " when sailing in these waters. Whatever happens, there is no avoiding the Doldrums and today will turn out to be very important indeed particularly as Gitana is now up with the leaders. Anything is possible, even bearing in mind that Gitana finds the going tougher in light air than in a bit of a blow.

1 273 miles /2357 km to the finishing line...

Salvador de Bahia has come seriously closer over the last few days. Average speeds clocked up by Lionel Lemonchois and Marc Guessard are of course the reason why. "Top of the range" speeds in sailing-speak, speeds which highlight the ocean-going qualities of the first trimarna to have opted for a fully X-shaped structure and whose beams have a very high water clearance. There can be no doubt that these characteristics have demonstrated quite how efficient they are in a wind angle of 270° and in seas which are sometimes pretty rough in the tradewinds. The 551 mile day put in the day before yesterday is still on everyone's mind and could turn out to be the best performance in this 6th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre. That question will be answered in the next few days, as Groupama reckons that they will finish – all being well, which we wish them – on Sunday morning.