Michel Desjoyeaux leads the Vendee Globe round-the-world race after rounding Cape Horn on Thursday.

The Frenchman was approximately 600 miles ahead of British yachtswoman Ellen Mcarthur, who is in second place.

Desjoyeaux is currently three days and 18 hours ahead of the record set in the last race four years ago by fellow compatriot Christophe Auguin, who won the race in 105 days.

Talking by radio, he confirmed he had sailed round Cape Horn in bad weather conditions.

He said: "It's pelting down all around me, it's like a monsoon overhead.

"I had been trying to manoeuvre around the Chilean coastline, and I've done it. I've passed Cape Horn.

"It's been tiring, the weather isn't top, 30 to 35 knots in the squalls. I've not even had the time to sip some champagne."

Desjoyeaux has led the race for the past three weeks and has 7,100 miles to sail to the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne in France.