Catching Virbac Paprec 3...

As Neutrogena moves into sixth place in the Barcelona World Race

Image above courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems and PredictWind. If you can't see the whole of the table below (this depends which browser you use), scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Positions at 0830

With Virbac-Paprec 3 safely tucked up in Wellington now, her crew Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron enjoying a shower, clean sheets, the Kiwi equivalent of a steak frites and demi-pression, etc, so we wait to see which other boats will stop there too. The temptation must be great... However when in the last race Virbac-Paprec 2 didn't stop in Wellington it turned out to be possibly their race winning move.

Second placed Mapfre has 354 miles to go before reach passes Wellington and it seems likely that Virbac Paprec 3 will still be ahead of her when she sets sail at 1011 GMT on Friday morning (or Friday night in Wellington). If Mapfre continues to her average just 6.3 knots, this has her passing Wellington on Saturday night. If she can muster 10 knots she still only gets there on Friday night. If Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez decide not to stop then it will tighten up the fight for first place, although Virbac Paprec 3 will still be ahead, with repairs made and a refreshed crew.

Meanwhile a match race, in ocean racing terms at least, is developing for third place. Groupe Bel has done well over the last 48 hours as while the two boats ahead of her were nailed as an area of high pressure moved across the Tasman Sea yesterday, so they were just behind this and, like Virbac Paprec 3, were able to steer the direct course across the Tasman towards Cook Strait. Third placed Estrella Damm has come up to their course to cover, and at the latest sched the two boats are separated by less than 13 miles.

But the big news is that further back in the fleet Boris Herrmann and Ryan Breymaier on Neutrogena have finally managed to overhaul Dominique Wavre and Michelle Paret on Mirabaud to claim sixth place The US-German duo split gybes with Mirabaud yesterday and this morning, as the two boats pass the south of Tasmania, so Neutrogena is some 62 miles to the north of her rival and at the latest sched, three miles ahead.

Behind them Wouter Verbraak and Andy Mieklejohn on Hugo Boss have opted for a route en further north and look set to shave the south side of Tasmania overnight tonight. Of all the boats in the fleet, Hugo Boss has once again made the greatest gains in the fleet over the last 48 hours. However Mirabaud and Neutrogena have also been making good progress too so Hugo Boss has only taken 20 miles out of them over the last 48 hours.