Gosport sailor Alex Thomson still leading the Vendee Globe round the world solo race

After the first week of racing, the Gosport-based sailor was around 42 nautical miles ahead of Jean Le Cam.

Both men are experienced Vendee sailors - Thomson has finished third and second on his last two outings while Le Cam was runner-up in 2004/05 and fifth in 2012/13.

The fleet had sailed around 2,500 nautical miles since leaving the French port of Les Sables d’Olonnes on Sunday, November 8.

Portsmouth-born Samantha Davies, 46, was 11th, around 220 nautical miles behind Thomson but two places and 60 nautical miles ahead of her partner Romain Attanasio.

Thomson is bidding to become the first non-French winner of the Vendee Globe, a solo round the world odyssey of around 25,500 nautical miles.

He has been in the lead since the fourth day, edging to the front of a group of Imoca 60s as they headed south into the Atlantic.

Thomson, 46, and his fellow sailors had to deal with Storm Theta over the weekend, and not everyone survived unscathed.

Several boats suffered storm damage, including the much-fancied Jérémie Beyou who has had to return to Les Sables d'Olonne to make essential repairs.

Beyou was third in the last Vendee, in 2016/17 - one place behind Thomson.