Fleet divide

As two handed Figaro fleet pass Lisbon in Trophee BPE

Now passing the latitude of Lisbon, the fleet in the Figaro class' two handed Trophee BPE have divided in two. This division has had a profound affect on the leaderboard with Erwan Tabarly and Philippe Vicariot plummeting to seventh as they take the eastern route south to the stopover in Madeira. Early leaders Charles Caudrelier Benac and Pascal Bidegorry are now down to 11th.

Old Open 60 hands Bertrand de Broc and Dominic Vittet have this morning taken the lead, although they are only one mile closer to the finish than Ronan Cointo and Yannick Bestaven. Both boats are the westernmost of the fleet.

British sailor Adrian Faiers, sailing with Italian Corrado Agusta on Sector have moved up to ninth.

The forecast chart shows a high pressure system off the Portugese coast that should be giving those to the west headwinds and those to the east following winds. This was confirmed this morning by de Broc who said that they were sailing upwind in around 17 knots while Tabarly sail they were under spinnaker in 10 knots, but the breeze was very patchyl

The forecast shows the northeasterly trades are established further down the course and there to be more pressure close to the African coast side. Those currently in the east may be playing the longer game.

Positions at 05:32

Pos	Boat	Crew	Lat	Long	DTF
1	MYRIALIS	Dominic VITTET Bertrand de BROC	39 03 N	013 58 W	371
2	AQUARELLE.COM-CHARENTE MARITIME	Ronan COINTO Yannick BESTAVEN	39 01 N	014 12 W	372
3	CERCLE VERT	Gildas MORVAN Bertrand PACE	38 57 N	013 09 W	385
4	VILLE DE CHERBOURG CREDIT MUTUEL	Alexandre TOULORGE Laurent PELLECUER	39 01 N	013 22 W	386
5	PETIT NAVIRE LE BON GOUT DU LARGE	Thierry CHABAGNY Corentin DOUGUET	38 59 N	013 01 W	390
6	SKIPPER AG2R	Jeanne GREGOIRE Gérald VENIARD	39 03 N	013 14 W	390
7	D'AUCY CARAIBOS	Bruno JOURDREN Yann ELIES	38 59 N	013 01 W	390
8	DAVID OLIVIER	ERIC DROUGLAZET Sébastien AUDIGANE	39 00 N	012 48 W	395
9	SECTOR	Corrado AGUSTA Adrian FAIERS	39 16 N	013 26 W	398
10	THALES	Erwan TABARLY Philippe VICARIOT	38 19 N	011 08 W	405
11	BOSTIK FINDLEY	Charles CAUDRELIER BENAC Pascal BIDEGORRY	38 55 N	011 27 W	416
12	ESCAL'ATLANTIC	Ronan GUERIN Frédéric GUILMIN	38 13 N	010 32 W	419
13	CREALINE	Armel LECLEAC'H Nicolas TROUSSEL	38 26 N	010 31 W	421
14	"CRÊPES WHAOU !"	Franck-Yves ESCOFFIER Marc GUESSARD	39 11 N	011 31 W	429
15	L'ESPRIT D'EQUIPE	Lionel PEAN Jean de RIBEROLLES	39 05 N	011 26 W	432
16	TETRAKTYS	Pascal DESMARETS Philippe HANIN	39 55 N	013 30 W	434
17	SCARLET Telecom	Sander BAKKER Marten JAN RINGERS	39 44 N	011 27 W	464
18	SOR - TMC	Christophe BOUVET Alexandre PERAUD	40 27 N	010 42 W	515