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PARIS: Frenchman Loick Peyron regained the leadership of the Vendee Globe round-the-world solo yacht race as the flotilla approached the Cape Verde islands off the western coast of Africa on Monday.
Peyron (Gitana Eighty) had trailed his countryman Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) in the 0500GMT standings, but Le Cam's easterly course slowed him down and enabled Peyron to out-flank him and open up an 11.2-mile lead.
Sebastien Josse had been less than two miles behind Le Cam at 0500GMT, but he too slipped back to trail Peyron by 17.8 miles.
Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac) led a group of sailors closing in on the leading trio, with reigning champion Vincent Riou (PRB) less than two miles behind in fifth place and Armel Le Cleac'h (Brit Air) making good progress in sixth.
Dick anticipated "a complicated day ahead", with shifting weather patterns likely to cause the most significant disruption.
"The major problem is the shift in the wind this morning," he said. "The weather is not very certain and the forecasts contradict each other.
"It's going to take a lot of reflection to find the right route through the Cape Verde Islands without falling into their shadow."
French sailors continue to dominate the race, with England's Mike Golding (Ecover) the sole non-French representative in a top ten which has begun to stretch away from the rest of the field.
A gap of 95.3 miles separated tenth-placed Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Bahrain Team Pindar skipper Brian Thompson of England in 11th position.
Raced in single hull boats with no technical support and no stops, the four-yearly Vendee Globe is considered the world's most dangerous boat race.
Four boats have pulled out since the 30-vessel field left the western French port of Les Sables d'Olonne on Sunday November 9, with British prospect Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss), Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel), Marc Tjhiercelin (DCNS0) and Yannick Bestaven (Paprec-Virbac) the competitors forced to retire.
After circumnavigating the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of the African continent the sailors will cross the Indian Ocean and pass below Australia and the southern tip of South America before returning to France in around three months' time.
Vendee Globe standings at 1000GMT Monday
1. Loick Peyron (FRA) Gitana Eighty at 21,464.8 nautical miles from the finish
2. Jean Le Cam (FRA) VM Materiaux, 13.1 miles behind the leader
3. Sebastien Josse (FRA) BT, 17.8
4. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) Paprec-Virbac, 82.9
5. Vincent Riou (FRA) PRB, 84.5
6. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA) Brit Air, 96.4
7. Yann Elies (FRA) Generali, 109.9
8. Mike Golding (ENG) Ecover, 122.9
9. Jeremie Beyou (FRA) Delta Dore, 127.3
10. Roland Jourdain (FRA) Veolia Environnement, 130.2
- AFP/de
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