Groovederci ahead

As Tour Voile fleet negotiates the Channel Islands

The 94 miles Tour de France a la Voile leg from Cherbourg to Perros-Guirec finally got underway at 1616 GMT in brisk 30 knot winds.

After one general recall, the best start was had by Jimmy Pahun's Région Ile de France and the American Groovederci team. As they left Cherbourg the fleet split into two with one group heading out to sea and the other hugging the coast.

At the time the relative positions were taken (below) the boat were passing between the islands of Guernesey and Sark with 53 miles to go to the finish the wind was blowing 25 knots from the WNW while the speed of the boats was around 10 knots thanks to the favourable current.

Four boats could not be positioned as they chose to pass west of Guernsey. These
were Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych, Defi Jean Bart, Eigsi La Rochelle
Charente-Maritime and Port de Commerce La Rochelle Estudines.com

Positions:

1 GROOVEDERCI (USA)
2 REGION ILE DE FRANCE
3 CSC - ESSEC
4 THEOULE MANDELIEU
5 PERPIGNAN MEDITERRANEE
6 DIEPPE SEINE MARITIME
7 DEFI PARTAGE - MARSEILLE
8 BOUYGUES TELECOM
9 PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN
10 VILLE DE GENEVE CARREFOUR PREVENTION (Switzerland)
11 DEFI SCLEROSE EN PLAQUES - LEONARD DE VINCI
12 BELVEDERE - FORCE EDC & LES COPAINS A BORD
13 VILLE DU PORT BRED LA REUNION
14 NANTES SAINT NAZAIRE
15 TEPACAP
16 DEFI DON DU SANG ALLIBERT HEC-ESC GRENOBLE-X
17 DEFI GRANDES ECOLES TOTAL INSA
18 DOUARNENEZ - VOILE MAGAZINE
19 ESPOIRS AQUITAINS
20 T SERVICE INTERIM REGION DE BRUXELLES CAPITALE / BRUSSELS HOOFDSTEDELIJK
GEWEST (Belgium)
21 BIENNE-VOILE
22 COTES D’ARMOR
23 BREST GRANDES ECOLES ENSIETA ENST-BRETAGNE
24 MARSEILLE UNIVERSITES VILLE DE BANDOL
25 ALFA LAVAL (UK)
26 DELFT CHALLENGE TU DELFT (Holland)
? DEFI JEAN BART
? EIGSI LA ROCHELLE CHARENTE-MARITIME
? PORT DE COMMERCE LA ROCHELLE ESTUDINES.COM
? TOULON PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE COYCH