Gutted

Jonathan McKee's Mini transat hopes dashed - disaster for Roubinet

The above chart tells it all. Disaster has befallen American entrant Jonathan McKee. The race organisers believe that the most likely scenario is that McKee's Team McLube has dismasted.

It is presumed that McKee has erected a jury rig, probably at first light yesterday. In the last 24 hours the American has sailed 75 miles compared to Sam Manuard's 151 miles. The organisers believe that McKee's course indicates that he is heading for Natal on the Brazilian coast to the north of Recife, however it maybe that McKee is unable to make the course with his lashed up rig.

As a result Manuard has now moved into first place with a 25 mile lead as he makes for the Fernando de Noronha waypoint. Manuard won the first leg of this year's Mini Transat and now looks to be a surefire favourite for line honours.

Overnight a similar fate is believed to have befallen sixth placed Sebastien Roubinet, another favourite for the race. In a near identical occurence to McKee 24 hours earlier last night the Frenchman triggered his Inmarsat D+ satcom until in such a way to indicate to the race organisers that he too was experiencing technical difficulties but didn't require assistance. Roubinet's Manuard design is also likely to have dismasted and by coincidence in nearly the exact water patch of water as McKee. Spooky...

To the north of the leaders David Raison and Cian McCarthy to the west have been suffering and have now dropped back to 14th and 15th respectively.

Positions at 0700GMT

Pos	Sail no	Skipper	Boat	Class	Lat	Long	DTF
1	431	Samuel Manuard	TIP TOP TOO - LE GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUE	proto	S023360	W0322525	744.7
2	247	Jonathan Mc Kee	TEAM MC LUBE	proto	S021010	W0315968	770.4
3	151	Armel Tripon	MOULIN ROTY	proto	S021010	W0312523	782.5
4	347	Pierre Rolland	EXTRADO	proto	S013531	W0322186	802.9
5	240	Alex Pella	AQUATEC - SANTIVERI - TEXKNIT	proto	S010265	W0311156	849.4
6	346	Sébastien Roubinet	ADRENALINE	proto	S010588	W0302578	868.6
7	260	Richard Mérigeaux	BON PIED BON OEIL	proto	S002948	W0294365	922.9
8	354	Bruno Garcia	SALADINO	proto	N000685	W0294463	951.9
9	353	Willy Garcia	CEYLAN DIAMANTES	proto	N000681	W0294403	952.2
10	312	Pascal Doin	ASNQ	proto	N000788	W0293531	958
11	303	Enrico Podesta	DIABOLO-SLAM	proto	N002301	W0293468	970.9
12	139	François Cuinet	REGLISSE	proto	N005941	W0301426	984.1
13	385	Jaume Mumbru	PORT DE BARCELONA	proto	N005048	W0295155	985.9
14	440	David Raison	RAYON LIQUIDE	serie	N012796	W0311261	993.4
15	393	Cian Mc Carthy	THE TOM CREAN	proto	N013485	W0314013	995.6
16	167	Manuel Castilla	VISION ORIGINALE	serie	N010445	W0294318	1002
17	428	David Sineau	FRANCE FERMETURES	serie	N011985	W0293813	1018
18	326	Ian Munslow	ISHTAR	proto	N012473	W0292831	1027
19	318	Yann Riou	THRANE & THRANE	serie	N011173	W0290553	1028
20	330	Jean-Pierre Balmes	CECIM	serie	N013161	W0292906	1033
21	421	Michel Mirabel	GWALARN IV	serie	N004660	W0281705	1037
22	138	Eric Defert	AMIRAL DE BRETAGNE	proto	N010750	W0283461	1042
23	258	Marc Gascons	TIP-TOP	proto	N010883	W0282565	1048
24	426	Erwan Tymen	POGO 2 NAVY LEST	serie	N010301	W0280598	1056
25	185	Thomas Valentin	THOMAS HAWK	proto	N015803	W0290418	1068
26	227	Donald Wright	RUSSE NOIR	proto	N015243	W0284448	1073
27	322	Gilles Guillerm	BLUE BOSSA	serie	N014943	W0283641	1075
28	269	Lionel Rubio de Teran	GROUPE CIBF	serie	N023491	W0293073	1089
29	352	Luis Irisarri	DEVIAJE.COM	proto	N014666	W0274023	1106
30	209	Bertrand Lecharpentier	NEC HONFLEUR	serie	N022526	W0283288	1107
31	168	Fabrice Guillerm	RAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIRE	serie	N030530	W0294623	1111
32	316	Pia L'Obry	EXPATRIA.FR	proto	N020846	W0275556	1114
33	175	Adam Seamans	SPIRIT OF AMERICA	serie	N020540	W0274973	1115
34	245	Patrick Bot	FINIST'MER ECOLE NAVALE	serie	N030896	W0293916	1117
35	295	David Sautret	MIKALOU SAILING	serie	N032000	W0292136	1134
36	36	Peter de Smedt	HUYSMAN	proto	N025875	W0283221	1137
37	345	Cécile Poujol	INFORMATIQUE ET STATISTIQUES	serie	N024143	W0275088	1144
38	250	Brieuc Maisoneuve	PAYS GRANVILLAIS	serie	N022181	W0271998	1146
39	321	Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty	ARTECH - CAEN LA MER	proto	N032453	W0290030	1147
40	388	Yves Niort	DEMI-CLE SHIPCHANDLER	serie	N025508	W0280230	1149
41	329	Laurent Jaunin	TERRE-ET-FAUNE.ORG	serie	N030046	W0273433	1169
42	444	Isabelle Magois	EDEN PARK	proto	N031786	W0274875	1175
43	135	Stéphane Ayrault	WYETH	proto	N034015	W0282710	1175
44	340	Rémi Beauvais	SPI CALL CENTER	serie	N035646	W0285436	1178
44	373	Christophe Dary	SAGA MERCEDES BENZ	serie	N035641	W0285433	1178
46	89	Rémy Malburet	SOEUR MARIE THERESE DES BATIGNOLLES	serie	N042168	W0292448	1191
47	416	Daniel Schaffer	SENSIL	proto	N031083	W0271023	1191
48	333	Arsène Ledertheil	LA CIGOGNE DE L'OCEAN	proto	N035883	W0282116	1195
48	342	Alessandro Zamagna	ARKE	proto	N041820	W0290371	1195
50	29	Arthur Barret	UBAYE	proto	N040855	W0282831	1200
51	56	James Bird	ATOMIC	proto	N030978	W0263655	1211
52	34	Gustavo Pacheco	EPSILON	proto	N035473	W0272650	1218
53	381	Gonzalo Botin	DON VITO	serie	N024655	W0255078	1224
54	371	Juan Carlos Sanchis Mari	SPASMOS	serie	N044821	W0285536	1226
55	277	François-Jacques Jauffrineau	VENDEE PRISMA	proto	N045558	W0290265	1230
55	335	Barnabé Chivot	FTH THIRARD	proto	N042981	W0280451	1230
57	262	Eric Schmitt	LA LIMULE	serie	N052753	W0290226	1260
58	47	Bernard Morin	JOGGING INTERNATIONAL	serie	N052709	W0283743	1268
59	360	Henri Gourmelon	TOBABOOTS	serie	N043531	W0263200	1282
60	109	Gaspard Franeau	AVOCATS SANS FRONTIERES	proto	N074346	W0262766	1446
61	355	Jacques Valente	ACTION INNOCENCE	serie	N111153	W0252720	1659
NC	121	David Lancry	MENSURA FROST	proto	-	-
NC	282	Erwan Abalain	MARION NOEL CONSEILS	serie	-	-