Vendee Globe Ocean Race, Day 50 - New Year, no change ?

- Leaders at Cape Horn tomorrow night
- Stamm and Sanso on a charge, making gains
- All 13 skippers in the same ocean ?

2013 may well start with the status quo intact. There seems little chance of any immediate change in the ranking order on the Vendée Globe even if Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) and Javier Sanso (Acciona 100% Eco Powered) are each on a charge, sailing the biggest distances over the 24 hours to build a growing threat to the skippers immediately in front of them. Otherwise the order is very settled. Even between the two leaders, François  Gabart (Macif) ahead of Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) again, there are 9.5 miles. With 650 miles to go to Cape Horn the top duo are anticipated there tomorrow evening. Meantime Italy’s Alessandro di Benedetto can pass into the Pacific before the leaders leave.

With 300 miles to go to enter the Pacific Ocean, making between nine and 10 knots, Italy’s Alessandro di Benedetto, on his 1998 Finot Conq designed Team Plastique, has a fighting chance of passing in to the world’s most expansive ocean at its western entrance just before the two leaders depart in the east, at Cape Horn. Oceanic adventurer Di Benedetto passed the East Australia gate last night, just over 5000 miles behind race leader François Gabart who is back at the head of the Vendée Globe fleet.

The two leaders are racing with courses only 7 miles apart in modest 13-17kts NW’ly winds as they reach towards Cape Horn where it seems increasingly likely that it will be the more friendly, benign face of the feared mariners’ landmark that the 29 year old Vendée Globe first timer Gabart will encounter Tuesday evening. In third place Jean-Pierre Dick’s margin to the leaders remains relatively static as he keeps pace with them, some 318 miles behind.

The biggest distances sailed in the 24 hours up to 0500hrs UTC this morning were made by Bernard Stamm (440 miles) and Javier Sanso (425 Miles). Stamm has been cutting distance to Arnaud Boissières virtually since he rejoined the race course three days ago after his technical stop, and this morning was just 49 miles behind the Frenchman’s Akena Vérandas. Sanso, chasing down Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) is now at 100 miles behind and has averaged more than 3 knots quicker over the last 24 hours. The Spanish skipper from Palma, Majorca’s desire is to be back with Wave and Mike Golding (Gamesa) by Cape Horn. Golding was 300 miles from the Pacific West gate this morning.

Four hundred miles ahead of Golding Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel) has completeted that Pacific West Gate and enjoys relative isolation in a solid fifth place as he has Alex Thomson 1000 miles ahead on Hugo Boss. The British skipper has still 1530 miles to make to Cape Horn but will be delighted to finally complete a solo passage of the infamous point. As for the two leaders they are still more than two days ahead of the race record and might still break 80 days.