Tricky conditions

Seabreeze dies for Figaro sailors

The Rookie battle is hotting up as Yves Le Blevec gains a marginal advantage over Marc Emig and Sam Davies on Skandia. Le Blevec has been polled at 0900 BST seven miles behind the leader Pascal Bidegorry in 18th place, in 19th Marc Emig 7.12 mies behind and Sam in 21st overall 7.15 miles adrift. Undoubtedly, these top three Rookies will be in sight of each other and will be pushing for every tenth of a knot of speed as the fleet hit a period of calm. Skandia maintained her lead over the other Rookies until 0800 BST and the closing stages of this leg look set to be a close-run thing right to the finish line 130 miles away.

The north-easterly breeze has dissipated in the last couple of hours leaving practically no wind - the Figaro skippers will now be praying for the sea breeze to fill in quickly to get them closer to the finishing port of La Rochelle. As the prospects of a spinnaker run to the finish disappeared with the breeze, the skippers will be on a close fetch if the sea breeze fills in from the south to south-west.

The leaders were approaching the turning mark of Birvadeaux situated six miles north of Belle Ille before starting their descent south to La Rochelle. ETA is now for 0600-0700 tomorrow morning.

During the night there was a scare for the other female competitor Jeanne Grégoire who hit the beach several times to the north of Les Sables d'Olonne but managed to get her boat away from land under sail and continue racing. There does not appear to be any structural damage to the boat althought he French Navy patrol boat that accompanies the Figaro fleet will escort her along the remaining course. Many of the fleet had gone close into the French coast during the night.

LEG 2 POSITIONS - 0830BST 7.8.03:
Skipper / Boat Name / Distance To Finish

1st Pascal BIDEGORRY / Région Aquitaine / 127.19nm
2nd Jérémie BEYOU / Delta Dore / +0.82nm
3rd Erwan TABARLY / Thales / +1.98nm
4th Charles CAUDRELIER / Bostik Findley / +2.85nm
5th Armel LE CLEACH / Créaline / +2.93nm
6th Thierry CHABAGNY / Petit Navire Le Bon / +3.06nm
7th Alain GAUTIER / Foncia / +3.72nm
8th Michel DESJOYEAUX / Géant / +3.72nm
9th Benoit PETIT / Défi Santé Voile / +3.95nm
10th Eric DROUGLAZET / David Olivier / +3.99nm

18th Yves Le BLEVEC* / Reve de Grand-Actual Intérim / +7.00nm
19th Marc EMIG* / Espoire Total Course au Large / +7.12nm
21st Sam DAVIES* / SKANDIA / +7.15nm

* Rookie