British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur remains locked in a nip-and-tuck battle for the lead in the Vendee Globe, singlehanded, non-stop around the world race.

At 24 years old, MacArthur is the youngest skipper in the race, and is involved in a head-to-head tussle with Frenchman Michel Desjoyeaux.

The lead exchanged on numerous occasions as the pair negotiated the fickle winds of the Doldrums.

By Tuesday 14:00 GMT they had left the Doldrums and Desjoyeaux had edged 46 miles in front.

"I am not surprised that he came out of the Doldrums first," MacArthur said. "He was better placed in the west yesterday. That's life. We will see how things go in the next few days."

In a see-saw battle, Desjoyeaux had recaptured a slender six-mile lead on Monday after MacArthur had earlier edged five miles ahead of her opponent.

Tired but happy

MacArthur had earlier struggled to express her joy at taking the lead.

"I'm happy but I can't show my happiness when I'm totally exhausted," she said.

She added that she would be happy whether she finished first or second.

The pair are now about 3,000 nautical miles (3,450 miles) from the finish of the 24,000-mile race, which began on 9 November last year.

MacArthur has made up more than 600 miles on Desjoyeaux since rounding Cape Horn 16 days ago.

Desjoyeaux has been dogged by a combination of bad luck, and overly conservative tactics, while MacArthur has sailed brilliantly.

The Vendee Globe, which starts and finishes in Les Sable d'Olonne, France, takes the fleet south, down the Atlantic Ocean, around Antarctica in an easterly direction, before sailing back up the Atlantic.