Vendee Globe Day 16 Onboard As Fleet Breaks in Two. Thomas, Sam D&G, Boris, Pip, Jean LeCam, more

After three days at a truly relentless pace, devouring miles at near record speeds, 520, 530, 550 miles, in a seemingly single bite, the top leaders of the Vendée Globe fleet continue to stay ahead of the depression while at the same time their pursuers are dropping off the back of the system, as was expected. And so the expectation is that the leaders will continue to multiply their margins. Behind them cracks become gaps become chasms.

The gap is already growing notably after the top nine, and that will become more pronounced between now and the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope late on Friday. Those behind who are dropping off the back will need to wait for the next low pressure train, but meantime, race leader Charlie Dalin,(MACIF, Santé Prévoyance), and his closest rivals, will continue to race in sustained winds, before gybing south to work the of the Antarctic Exclusion Zone.

The Race Directors have decided to drop the AEZ south by almost 100 miles - at least, to the Crozet archipelago, which will allow them to now sail a shorter route, at the same time being able to better exploit the depressions, which are running further to the south,