Yesterday towards the end of the day Armel Le Cleac'h opened the festivities: a few hours after passing the Cape of Good Hope, he cut the Aiguilles cape longitude, synonym of entering the Indian Ocean.
At mid-day, after 24 days in the race, only 5 boats switched over from one ocean to the other... and keep up their fantastic cavalcade into the Roaring 40s.
François Gabart is still member of the leading Trio, which could soon become a quartet if we take into account the miles caught up daily by Bernard Stamm
François Gabart
Here, the Indian Ocean in all it's splendor! We're just behind the front, we Gybed. I'm quite happy with the Gybed's timing. It(the wind)'s not that strong, about 30 knots. Heavy sea, we're playing submarine. Catch you later!
Bernard Stamm
I don't know the exact reason but I think it's thanks to the wind I've moved ahead. In any case, I know that if the sea would let us do as we wish we'd go faster that's sure.
For those leading the race, the game for the next days will be, to make it to the second Aiguilles gate. On which the horizon profiles itself a pretty anticyclonic bubble.
Several hundreds of miles away, the group led by Mike Golding should enter the Indian Ocean overnight.
Further away around the Tristan Da Cunha archipelago, gaps have increased: the Indian Ocean isn't inaccessible but some will still have to wait a few days before reaching it.
