Thomson surges after Le Cleac’h in Vendee

Paris (AFP) – British sailor Alex Thomson moved to within 77 miles of Armel Le Cleac’h on Monday as the Vendee Globe race leader wallowed in the Doldrums.

Frenchman Le Cleac’h coaxed his Banque Populaire to a pitiful average speed of just four knots over the last day as he endured painfully light winds around 250 miles north of the Equator.

Thomson, on the other hand, racked up an average speed of nine knots in the same time, the Welshman pulling back a deficit of more than 100 miles over the weekend.

Thomson, who failed to finish in 2004 and 2008, had seen his Hugo Boss yacht come within 68 miles of Le Cleac’h before fading slightly by 0800GMT Monday as the Frenchman managed to find some wind.

Another Frenchman, Jeremie Beyou (Maitre Coq), was meanwhile hanging on in third 567 miles off the pace, with Le Cleac’h still more than 2,800 miles from arrival.