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With the arrival yesterday afternoon of P-Martinique Tchalian (Hervé Jean-Marie-Jean-Yves Aglae), the 39th and final competitor in the Class40 category, the whole of this fleet is now sheltering from Storm Ciaran. This does not mean work has stopped in this particularly storm autumn weather. In Lorient, the sailors are ensuring their boats are safely moored up. For the crews that suffered serious damage, this stopover is very useful, as it is allowing them to carry out repairs before getting underway again for Martinique.

The tricky ridge of high pressure is holding up the three leading ULTIM boats to the north of Porto Santo. SVR Lazartigue has seen her lead melt away and can even see Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Banque Populaire XI, who at 0700hrs UTC this morning were only 2 and 9 miles behind her and were still faster. Sodebo Ultim 3, with Actual Ultim 3 in her wake, had a good night with a bit of wind blowing still, allowing them to make up some of their losses. Will their position off to the East allow them to deal more easily with the ridge of high pressure, which will be the main feature for the five ULTIMs throughout the day?

Because of an accident that happened at around 0500hrs on Monday morning on the stage from Le Havre to Lorient, Italian skipper Alberto Riva, skipper of the recently launched Italian Musa 40 Acrobatica, has sustained a leg injury. A specialist doctor has confirmed that Riva has fractured his tibia and will therefore not be able to complete the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre race to Martinique.