Drag race to the Caribbean

Tactics still pay in the Transat AG2R

Positions at 0300GMT:

Pos	Boat	Crew	Lat	Long	DTF
1	CERCLE VERT	Gildas MORVAN Dominic VITTET	28 39 N	039 59 W	1415
2	BANQUE POPULAIRE	Pascal BIDEGORRY Sidney GAVIGNET	27 07 N	039 06 W	1418
3	PORT TREBEURDEN	Romain ATTANASIO Nicolas BERENGER	27 23 N	039 05 W	1424
4	DELTA DORE	Jérémie BEYOU Christophe de PAVANT	28 14 N	039 37 W	1424
5	Trophée BPE Saint-Nazaire - Cuba	Jeanne GREGOIRE Samantha DAVIES	27 48 N	039 10 W	1428
6	BOSTIK FINDLEY	Charles CAUDRELIER Antoine KOCH	27 16 N	038 51 W	1434
7	THALES	Erwan TABARLY Jean Luc NELIAS	28 16 N	039 08 W	1438
8	GROUPE SCE - LE TELEGRAMME	Armel LE CLEAC'H Nicolas TROUSSEL	26 47 N	038 29 W	1444
9	PETITS PETONS	Christophe ARTAUD Laurent PELLECUER	28 00 N	039 05 W	1446
10	GEDIMAT	Armel TRIPON Damien GRIMONT	29 09 N	039 08 W	1458
11	DEFI SANTE VOILE	Benoit PETIT Thierry CHABAGNY	27 28 N	038 13 W	1479
12	MAISONS PIERRE	Marc LEPESQUEUX Bertrand LECHARPENTIER	26 54 N	037 59 W	1481
13	ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT	Yannig LIVORY Tangi CARON	28 00 N	038 22 W	1482
14	CHARENTE-MARITIME SCUTUM	Gérald VENIARD Yannick BESTAVEN	26 56 N	037 52 W	1488
15	TRISKEL-BROKERLINE	Marc THIERCELIN Eric DROUGLAZET	26 08 N	037 34 W	1491
16	GROUPE COUPECHOUX	Jean-Marc SPARFEL Benoit LEQUIN	26 00 N	037 28 W	1494
17	MARSEILLE ENTREPRISES	Jean-Paul MOUREN Alexandre TOULORGE	27 44 N	037 56 W	1499
18	D'AUCY	Bruno JOURDREN Jean-Christophe MOURNIAC	26 52 N	037 33 W	1503
19	GUYADER L'ESPRIT DE LA MER	Philippe MASSU Patrice CARPENTIER	25 38 N	037 04 W	1511
20	SKIPPER AG2R	Rodolphe JACQ Bertrand de BROC	26 02 N	036 48 W	1520
21	RAYNAL ET ROQUELAURE	Christian BOS Pierre-Yves MOREAU	27 00 N	037 12 W	1523
22	BEZIERS MEDITERRANEE	Yannick CANO Arnaud BOISSIERES	27 03 N	037 04 W	1531
23	CONNIVENCE	Jacques EINHORN Eric PERON	27 09 N	037 06 W	1531
24	MONACO MARINE GROUP	Alberto SPINA Olivier de ROFFIGNAC	28 05 N	036 58 W	1545
25	FTH-THIRARD / CAEN LA MER	Jean-Baptiste DEJEANTY Barnabé CHIVOT	26 46 N	036 17 W	1557
26	EGERIA	Sander BAKKER Ian MUNSLOW	27 14 N	036 18 W	1573
27	SPACETIME	Jan HAMESTER Jens HULSEBUSCH	28 54 N	036 28 W	1594
28	L'ESPRIT D'EQUIPE	Lionel PEAN Florence ARTHAUD	27 45 N	035 49 W	1606
29	AURELIA FINANCE	Hervé FAVRE Guillaume NEU PIETRI	27 50 N	035 33 W	1621
30	SOR TMC	Christophe BOUVET Arnaud GUILLOUET	29 14 N	035 46 W	1635
31	LITTLE BLACK SHARK	Antonio Pedro DA CRUZ Olivier DE LA MOTTE	25 57 N	030 36 W	1857

The leaders in the Figaro's two-handed Transat AG2R are now roughly half way across the Atlantic to the St Barts finish line. Out of the complex weather conditions of last week they are now faced with an added tactical challenge. Most of the fleet were taken north of the great circle as they had to skirt a low pressure system at the end of the last week and still on the right side of the course they are closer to the Azores high and consequently are seeing less pressure than those to the south.

Gildas Morvan and Dominic Vittet on board Cercle Vert continue to lead but are continuing their northerly strategy, but their lead is being threatened by Pascal Bidegorry and Sidney Gavignet on board Banque Populaire who are to the south and just four miles astern in terms of DTF.

Jeanne Gregoire and Sam Davies continue to have a fantastic race currently lying fifth and still in contention, pretty much bang on the great circle. Competition on board their boat will no doubt have been raised since Davies' boyfriend Roman Attanasio moved into third place over the weekend.