Vendee Globe Day 29 Onboard Underwater Southern Ocean Below Australia. PAPREC, MALIZIA, HUBLOT more

The race leader crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin at 14 12 58 hours UTC, after 29 days 2 hours 10 minutes 58 seconds of racing, thereby just missing out on Armel Le Clearck’s 2016 record of 28 days 20 hours 12 minutes. Cape Leeuwin, the second of the course’s three great Capes, was named on December 7th 1801, after the Dutch ship, Leeuwin, (The Lioness), which sailed round Australia, rounding the Cape in March 1622.

But there is little respite in the big south, there are slender high pressure ridges of lighter airs, but it seems the lows are relentless. "In theory, I was told that there were ridges to pass between each depression. I find that they are really short, really," joked charismatic race rookie Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur - Duo for a job).