Vendée Globe day 3 - How the day ended

Nine boats have had to turn back so far...

Derek Hatfield on Spirit of Canada:
RETURNED DUE TO ELECTRICAL/MAST PROBLEMS
Dominque Wavre on Temenos:
RETURNED FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND HAS RESTARTED
Alex Thomson on HUGO BOSS:
RETURNED AS A CRACK HAS DEVELOPED
Bernard Stamm on Cheminees Poujoulat:
COLLISION DAMAGE REPAIRED, WILL RESTART
Kito de Pavant on Groupe Bel:
DISMASTED AND HAD TO RETIRE
Yannick Bestaven on Aquarelle:
DISMASTED AND HAD TO RETIRE
Marc Thiercelin on DCNS:
DISMASTED AND HAD TO RETIRE (DOCKED IN SPAIN)
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty on Maisonneuve:
RETURNED DUE TO MAJOR STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia:
RETURNED DUE TO ENGINE TROUBLE BUT HAS RESTARTED

Positions as at 1900 GMT: 1 Josse Sébastien (BT) 22865.5nm to finish
2 Dick Jean-Pierre (Paprec-Virbac 2) 4.1nm from leader
3 Peyron Loïck (Gitana Eighty) 8.8nm
4 Jourdain Roland (Veolia Environnement) 18nm
5 Riou Vincent (PRB) 28.2nm
6 Le Cam Jean (VM Matériaux) 30.7nm
7 Le Cléac’h Armel (Brit Air) 33.8nm
8 Eliès Yann (Generali) 43.2nm
9 Guillemot Marc (Safran) 48.6nm
10 Beyou Jérémie (Delta Dore) 53.8nm
11 Golding Mike (Ecover) 57.1nm
12 Davies Samantha (Roxy) 62.3nm
13 Caffari Dee (Aviva) 64.4nm
14 Thompson Brian (Bahrain Team Pindar) 72.8nm
15 Boissières Arnaud (Akena Vérandas) 93.8nm
16 White Steve (Toe in the Water) 114.4nm
17 Wavre Dominique (Temenos II) 118nm
18 Dinelli Raphaël (Fondation Océan Vital) 161.6nm
19 Malbon Jonny (Artemis) 179nm
20 Basurko Unai (Pakea Bizkaia) 193.1nm
21 Wilson Rich (Great American III) 203.8nm
22 Sedlacek Norbert (Nauticsport-Kapsch) 317.5nm
23 Desjoyeaux Michel (Foncia) 430.1nm
24 Thomson Alex (Hugo Boss) 814.6nm
25 Dejeanty Jean-Baptiste (Groupe Maisonneuve) 814.7nm
26 Stamm Bernard (Cheminées Poujoulat) 814.7nm
27 Hatfield Derek (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) 814.7nm
ABD de Pavant Kito (Groupe Bel)
ABD Thiercelin Marc (DCNS)
ABD Bestaven Yannick (Aquarelle.com)

Seb Josse (BT) continues to lead the Vendee Globe by a slender 1.1 miles on the 1500h GMT rankings, consolidating now from his easterly position. As the pair close he will know soon if he has enough on second placed Jean Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) to hold his slender lead which shrank by five miles as Dick gybed. The advantage has been with those in the west, Josse, and Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) whose is now fifth.

Mike Golding (Ecover 3) is the best of the British pack, 11th, gaining about nine miles on the leaders. Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) arrived back in Les Sables d'Olonne early this morning and had his damaged boat lifted out of the water. He has pledged to continue his Vendée Globe if his boat can be repaired before the start line closes 1202GMT, Wednesday 19th November.

Skirting the Azores high pressure system Seb Josse (BT) has held the lead that he established on this morning's positions as he seeks to bank some of his gains from the easterly routing that has yielded him slightly better breeze. Chasing hard down that same flank Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) has broken into the top 5, gaining six places since yesterday's equivalent report. Le Cam, on the 2004 Lombard design, was still the most easterly boat of the leading group which spans more than 60 miles of lateral separation.The chasing pack have gained miles on the lead group who unfold their strategies, those in the west, closest to the high pressure system following the contour of the isobars, while those closer to the Portuguese coast sail the more direct route, but can only gybe later. Pursuing the all-French leading pack Britain's Mike Golding on Ecover 3 in 11th gained 9.4 miles on Josse between 0930hrs and 1430hrs GMT.

Unfortunate British solo skipper Alex Thomson arrived back at the start port, Les Sables d'Olonne early this morning with his damaged Hugo Boss. With his well practiced technical team standing by, his black hulled Open 60 was lifted from the water this afternoon and is being inspected by a team of experts to assess the extent of the damage to the port side of his hull. Thomson told media in Les Sables d'Olonne that he believes that the damage was caused by an impact of some kind and vowed to continue with his Vendée Globe if his boat is repairable within the remaining time before the start line closes officially at 1202 GMT one week today (Wed 19th).

Britain's Steve White (Toe in the Water) reported in to today's live radio broadcast that he was dealing with several issues which had affected him since his rushed departure from Les Sables d'Olonne. White said he had suffered a small electrical fire, had blown a hose off his recently installed generator several times during the first 36 hours of the race filling his boat with a mix of diesel fumes and steam.

Spain's Unai Bazurko (Pakea Bizkai) in 20th reported back to his team for the first time 'These two days we have not been able to sail for the race, we have been making efforts to survive. I hope we can now start sailing and live the race' said Unai by the telephone. 'It has been really hard, we knew the difficulty of this area well and what could wait for us. Now the wind is calming down and the sailing is more bearable. I am very well and so is the boat."

Switzerland's Dominic Wavre (Temenos II), who restarted 10 hours after the start on Sunday, is in 17th place told today's radio report that "All well on board. I am trying to catch up for lost time." He thinks he has little chance to move up the fleet for now but later on there will be opportunities. And his compatriot Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) is expected to restart this afternoon or evening, following repairs to his bowsprit and standing rigging.