Approaching Madeira

But looking ahead it will not all be plain trade wind sailing for the Transat AG2R

Positions at 0900GMT

Pos	Boat	Crew	Lat	Long	DTF
1	CERCLE VERT	Gildas MORVAN Dominic VITTET	34 13 N	015 54 W	2720
2	BANQUE POPULAIRE	Pascal BIDEGORRY Sidney GAVIGNET	34 20 N	015 52 W	2725
3	GROUPE SCE - LE TELEGRAMME	Armel LE CLEAC'H Nicolas TROUSSEL	34 18 N	015 55 W	2725
4	Trophée BPE Saint-Nazaire - Cuba	Jeanne GREGOIRE Samantha DAVIES	34 21 N	015 53 W	2728
5	THALES	Erwan TABARLY Jean Luc NELIAS	34 26 N	016 03 W	2729
6	SKIPPER AG2R	Rodolphe JACQ Bertrand de BROC	34 27 N	016 03 W	2730
7	DELTA DORE	Jérémie BEYOU Christophe de PAVANT	34 24 N	015 53 W	2730
8	PORT TREBEURDEN	Romain ATTANASIO Nicolas BERENGER	34 22 N	015 57 W	2732
9	TRISKEL-BROKERLINE	Marc THIERCELIN Eric DROUGLAZET	34 32 N	015 43 W	2742
10	DEFI SANTE VOILE	Benoit PETIT Thierry CHABAGNY	34 30 N	015 35 W	2742
11	D'AUCY	Bruno JOURDREN Jean-Christophe MOURNIAC	34 26 N	015 18 W	2747
12	PETITS PETONS	Christophe ARTAUD Laurent PELLECUER	34 39 N	015 32 W	2752
13	L'ESPRIT D'EQUIPE	Lionel PEAN Florence ARTHAUD	34 38 N	015 27 W	2754
14	BOSTIK FINDLEY	Charles CAUDRELIER Antoine KOCH	34 34 N	015 19 W	2755
15	FTH-THIRARD / CAEN LA MER	Jean-Baptiste DEJEANTY Barnabé CHIVOT	34 53 N	015 58 W	2757
16	CHARENTE-MARITIME SCUTUM	Gérald VENIARD Yannick BESTAVEN	34 48 N	015 33 W	2757
17	MAISONS PIERRE	Marc LEPESQUEUX Bertrand LECHARPENTIER	34 41 N	015 26 W	2757
18	MARSEILLE ENTREPRISES	Jean-Paul MOUREN Alexandre TOULORGE	34 44 N	015 30 W	2758
19	CONNIVENCE	Jacques EINHORN Eric PERON	34 51 N	015 42 W	2760
20	GEDIMAT	Armel TRIPON Damien GRIMONT	34 38 N	015 10 W	2761
21	GUYADER L'ESPRIT DE LA MER	Philippe MASSU Patrice CARPENTIER	34 56 N	015 42 W	2765
22	ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT	Yannig LIVORY Tangi CARON	35 04 N	016 01 W	2765
23	RAYNAL ET ROQUELAURE	Christian BOS Pierre-Yves MOREAU	34 58 N	015 34 W	2765
24	BEZIERS MEDITERRANEE	Yannick CANO Arnaud BOISSIERES	34 56 N	015 35 W	2766
25	MONACO MARINE GROUP	Alberto SPINA Olivier de ROFFIGNAC	35 03 N	015 55 W	2767
26	GROUPE COUPECHOUX	Jean-Marc SPARFEL Benoit LEQUIN	34 53 N	015 22 W	2768
27	SOR TMC	Christophe BOUVET Arnaud GUILLOUET	34 59 N	015 07 W	2782
28	EGERIA	Sander BAKKER Ian MUNSLOW	35 09 N	015 15 W	2791
29	SPACETIME	Jan HAMESTER Jens HULSEBUSCH	35 30 N	016 02 W	2792
30	AURELIA FINANCE	Hervé FAVRE Guillaume NEU PIETRI	35 41 N	015 22 W	2813
31	LITTLE BLACK SHARK	Antonio Pedro DA CRUZ Olivier DE LA MOTTE	36 47 N	015 13 W	2878

The leaders in the Figaro class' two handed Transat AG2R race have 100 miles to go this morning before they reach the turning mark from where they will be able to continue their passage across the Atlantic to the finish line off the Caribbean island of St Barts. The mark is located five miles south of Sao Lorenço, at the easternmost tip of Madeira. It is this far offshore to help prevent the competitors fall into the wind shadow of the island.

Gildas Morvan and Dominique Vittet over the last 24 hours have covered 230 miles and although they are still likely to see the wind drop off as they round the island this is likely to take place later this afternoon.

Overnight Armel Le Cleac'h and Nicolas Troussel's easterly track has allowed them to pick up places and they have now taken over third place from Jeanne Gregoire and Sam Davies. Similarly Erwan Tabarly and Jean-Luc Nelias have pulled up from eigth place to fifth.

At this point in the proceedings the crews would be expecting a fairly straightforward Trade Winds run across the Atlantic. However it looks likely that the first few days out from Madeira could prove highly tactical. At present the main Altlantic high pressure system is way out to the west centred some 1100 miles to the left of the Azores with a secondary high some 700 miles WSW of Madeira. Because of this latter system and a depression centred to the northeast of Madeira, the boats will see the wind backing around the northeast. However in two days time it will the depression that is centred to the southwest of Madeira and this will give the skippers the choice of heading north of the great circle to remain in favourable winds or face headwinds if they wish to reach the trades to the south.