The catch up of Dalin and Ruyant will continue through the day, believes the skipper from La Rochelle. But early this morning Maître Coq IV is still over 420 miles up on Dalin who is racing just 13 or 14 miles ahead of rival Ruyant with their wind angle closing as they go eas.

And while Bestaven might be literally and figuratively sweating - as the temperatures on board rise into the 20s – over the comeback of his rivals, in the South Pacific it remains very tough. There is no news so far from Pip Hare beyond knowing she stopped in the evening and is moving again now and her team had predicted a short weather window during which she was expected to execute the plan to replace her port rudder. And Medallia is sailing back slowly and steadily east this morning, so fingers crossed she has been successful

In that same group of boats Jérémie Beyou, joined this morning on the 0400hrs call admitted to having had his fill of the brutal sailing conditions boat breaking stuff since the Tasman Sea. Cape Horn is the relief all thee solo racers are waiting for. From Medallia to Compagnie du Lit-Jiliti, the IMOCAs are going through difficult times on what feels like a long endless tunnel. “We live in our world of only water, far from everything, sometimes scared, the slightest ray of sunshine brings immense happiness. It’s a strange way to live ”confided Manu Cousin

But they largely sail without complaint. There hard days and nights are all part and parcel of the Vendée Globe dream. And the skippers share the dream, the breaking waves, the battering against carbon hulls, the exhaustion, sometimes the plummeting morale.

"Me I am a bit tired of the of taking slap after slap" said the skipper of Charal who was concerned about Pip Hare: "I don't know how she is going to make repairs in these sea and wind conditions".