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These two leading boats are starting to pull out an advantage of the rest of the fleet. At the 12:00 poll, PRB, slight more south than Paprec-Virbac 2 and on a more direct course to the Canary Islands, had a 19nm advantage. It is then another 43nm from Paprec-Virbac 2 to third place Estrella Damm.

Although PRB currently holds the lead, Paprec-Virbac 2 reached Gibraltar first as Jean Pierre DICK (FRA) explained, "It all started in Malaga where we passed PRB - good speed on Paprec-Virbac 2, coupled with PRB fulling into a bit of a windless hole, which we tacked to avoid and slipped past them! Sometimes being behind can have its advantages! Passing the straits of Gibraltar alongside the cargo ships and Paprec-Virbac overtakes them! This morning we tapped into a favourable shift off the African coast and managed to get into the Atlantic to start on some new adventures!"

Since passing through the straits, Paprec-Virbac 2 has opted for a more northerly route and PRB has slipped back into the lead.

Although the two leaders appear to be pulling away from the fleet this morning, it is not all bad news for the chasing pack. The wind is anticipated to clock around to an easterly direction this morning. If that easterly comes in from behind the fleet, the back markers could find themselves in favourable conditions.

Although there haven't been strong winds before Wednesday, none of the fleet is well rested. The demands of the boat are simply too pressing to allow much sleep.

"I think we manage about an hour each right now," Damian FOXALL (IRL) says. "But it is important to manage your own personal energy and lucidity because when you are tired you aren't thinking properly and can miss the shifts. And you have to keep looking around to what is happening. We're always looking at the position reports and asking ourselves a whole number of questions: Are they just sailing better? Do they simply have more wind than us? It's hard work to find the right balance."

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