Intro:

Francois Gabart remained in first place in the Vendee Globe on Wednesday, while Bernard Stamm became the latest skipper to retire from the race.

Script:

Dominique Wavre enjoyed another consistent day on the water on Wednesday and lies in seventh place in the Vendee Globe.

This was in stark contrast to Bernard Stamm who announced late in the day that he would be retiring from the race.

With no energy on board since Sunday after he hit an unidentified floating object, Stamm took on board enough fuel to recharge his batteries and retire officially from the contest.

Meanwhile, the two leaders are experiencing a consistent twenty knots of wind.

Francois Gabart still holds the lead, but second placed Armel Le Cleac'h remains resolute in his determination to provide a stern challenge.

Mike Golding rounded Cape Horn in sixth place early in the morning, becoming the only person to have raced around this infamous rock three times each way: west to east and east to west.

His current passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic is his third time solo in a Vendee Globe, rounding west to east in 2001, 2005 and now 2013.