Morvan consolidates his lead

After second round of 'bananes' in Generali Mediterranee solo series

After today's sailing in the Figaro class' singlehanded Generali Mediterranee Gildas Morvan has consolidated his position to four points ahead of Erwan Tabarly.

The start of today's racing off Hyeres habrour was delayed until midday today (local time) and as a result the race committee were able only to get off one race rather than the two planned. The windward-leeward was held in 6-7 knot southerly winds.

The surprise of the day was the performance of the English sounding Christopher Pratt (who is in fact a French former Mumm 30 sailor and comes from Marseilles), who was first round the weather mark ahead of Morvan and Tabarly having made gains on the left side of the course. However Pratt was knocked down to third in the next leg with Laurent Pellecuer and Jean-Paul Mouren also in contention.

However Morvan was able to hang on to the lead until the finish, making up for his disappointing seventh place yesterday and finishing ahead of Laurent Pellecuer and Christopher Pratt in second and third respectively. Significantly Erwan Tabarly who after yesterday's racing was challenging Morvan for the lead finished fourth today.

Following his performance today Christophe Artaud is now leading Pratt by just three points in the 'rookie' Figaro first timer rankings.

Sam Davies on Skandia finished 23rd today. "I should have been 22nd today but I experimented at the end and it didn't work out exactly in my favour... I had gone the right way down the final run and nearly got past Jeanne Gregoire. I was coming in really deep and had to gybe for the line...I decided to go early before Jeanne and it didn't pay so I should have been more patient.

"At the start I was between Tabarly and Morvan but got spat out the back - not enough space for all of us! The beat was much better than yesterday - had good sail set up and the pilot was working well through the tacks. I did a lot of practice before the start so I didn't lose anything on the beat. Gained on the run - always seem better on the run. Skandia's North Sails spinnaker is good...a really fast sail."

With four days left to run in the Generali Mediterranee, there are potentially eight races left to sail. "There is more more wind forecast towards the end of week so we shouldn't see any further abandonments," Sam continued. "We have only had two offshore races where you score double points and big gains or losses can be made...now the gains or losses are smaller but there are 8 races left so still a lot could happen.

"The sailors in good positions will be sailing conservatively to protect their position. The leading three skippers will be racing each other for the top spot and the same goes for the leading rookies so there is the real potential for a race within a race to develop. If three boats race each other down the fleet by sticking together and going off on their own, then there is the opportunity for others to make a real gain.

"There is a good spirit of competition here, especially on the dockside... It's a very competitive fleet but if people have dramas everyone would help, but in terms of general day to day bits and pieces everyone does there own thing. The preparateurs perhaps have more influence than their skippers when it comes down to who helps who! But the best racing is when everyone is on the start line and a 100% ready so everyone tries to make sure that is the case."

Results

Pos	Boat name	Skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Tot
1	CERCLE VERT	Gildas MORVAN	3	3	4	4	8	4	7	1	34
2	THALES	Erwan TABARLY	8	8	8	2	6	2	1	4	39
3	CREALINE	Armel LE CLEACH	1	1	22	6	1	8	2	5	46
4	DELTA DORE	Jeremie BEYOU	2	5	20	3	3	16	3	10	62
5	DAVID OLIVIER	Eric DROUGLAZET	4	4	2	1	2	30	4	16	63
6	AON	Laurent PELLECUER	17	2	12	7	15	6	8	2	69
7	3201 METEOCONSULT Groupe Prosodie	Gilles CHIORRI	14	9	18	9	9	10	5	18	92
8	BOSTIK FINDLEY	Charles CAUDRELIER BENAC	11	18	36	5	5	12	6	8	100
9	E. LECLERC Protégeons l'environnement	Sébastien AUDIGANE	12	6	10	10	7	42	9	11	107
10	GROUPE GENERALI ASSURANCES	Yann ELIES	5	7	44	8	4	28	10	6	112
11	ESPOIR CREDIT AGRICOLE	Gwenaël RIOU	9	12	12	16	10	38	19	9	125
12	PORT TREBEURDEN	Romain ATTANASIO	16	21	26	14	12	32	18	17	155
13	PETITS-PETONS / FTH THIRARD	Christophe ARTAUD**	18	16	40	18	18	24	11	12	156
14	Café MALONGO	Christopher PRATT**	6	33	34	13	16	40	13	3	158
15	CREPES WHAOU !	Franck-Yves ESCOFFIER**	7	13	52	21	20	20	17	15	165
16	Petit Navire Le Bon Goût du Large	Thierry CHABAGNY	21	15	34	11	11	46	16	14	167
17	VILLE DE CHERBOURG / MORY TEAM	Alexandre TOULORGE	15	10	54	12	14	18	24	21	168
18	IN EXTREMIS	Marc EMIG**	23	25	28	20	19	34	12	13	173
19	SORELEC MBD Design	Arnaud BOISSIERES	13	19	38	19	13	36	20	20	177
20	Rêve de grand - ACTUAL Interim	Yves LE BLEVEC**	24	11	14	15	33	44	15	24	180
21	Skipper ag2r	Jeanne GREGOIRE	19	23	20	24	17	50	23	22	197
22	M@RSEILLE ENTREPRISES	Jean Paul MOUREN	33	22	56	27	24	22	14	7	204
23	BERMUDES	Marc THIERCELIN	10	20	58	33	33	14	22	19	208
24	ART IMMOBILIER CONSTRUCTION	Daniel DUPONT	22	17	46	17	22	48	21	25	217
25	SKANDIA	Samantha DAVIES**	20	27	62	23	23	26	27	23	229
26	SOR TMC	Christophe BOUVET**	25	24	24	22	21	66	25	28	234
27	PLUS PHARMACIE	Stéphane SEVAUX**	28	30	32	28	27	66	26	30	264
28	SECTOR SPORT WATCHES	Corrado AGUSTA**	27	33	52	26	26	52	31	26	273
29	ALTAVENTURE / SNSM	Eric PILAT**	29	33	42	29	28	58	30	27	276
30	MONACO MARINE GROUP	Alberto SPINA	30	28	66	25	25	56	28	29	285
31	STERN groep	Sander BAKKER**	26	33	50	33	33	54	29	31	289
-	LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR	Lionel PEAN	33	33	66	33	33	56	33	33	330