Race restart

After three weeks of racing, the Trophee BPE leaders park up off Cuba

Positions at 0900GMT

Pos	Boat	DTF	DTL	VMG	Lat	Long	Spd	Crs	Spd	Crs	Spd	Dist
							Instant		4hr aver		24hr run
1	CREDIT MARITIME-ZEROTWO	395.3	0.0	0.1	19 46.44' N	74 27.30' W	0.7	205	0.7	244.0	1.8	42.0
2	BOSTIK	411.9	16.6	1.7	20 00.84' N	74 10.38' W	0.9	239	0.7	226.0	1.7	40.3
3	CERCLE VERT	419.5	24.2	3.8	19 57.00' N	74 01.74' W	4.1	229	3.4	229.0	2.4	58.2
4	SKANDIA	422.5	27.2	1.9	19 58.40' N	73 58.63' W	1.9	263	2.5	230.0	2.7	64.4
5	BANQUE POPULAIRE	429.7	34.4	2.4	19 57.30' N	73 50.88' W	2.9	225	2.3	253.0	3.7	88.1
6	ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM	430.9	35.5	4.2	20 02.34' N	73 50.22' W	4.7	237	2.6	242.0	3.7	88.4
7	AQUARELLE.COM	433.8	38.4	1.1	19 55.26' N	73 46.44' W	1.7	202	1.8	230.0	3.5	84.8
8	COUTOT ROEHRIG	434.2	38.8	2.6	19 59.10' N	73 46.26' W	2.7	222	2.7	273.0	3.7	88.5
9	GEDIMAT	435.6	40.2	2.7	20 01.50' N	73 45.06' W	2.9	225	2.3	269.0	3.5	84.0
10	TOTAL	437.5	42.2	2.5	20 00.24' N	73 42.78' W	3.8	211	2.9	240.0	4.4	105.0
11	ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT	530.3	134.9	4.1	20 28.50' N	72 07.68' W	4.5	256	2.6	256.0	4.0	96.0
12	LITTLE BLACK SHARK	652.0	256.6	0.5	21 58.98' N	70 54.06' W	1.5	260	1.4	238.0	2.9	69.6

Despite basking in the warm Caribbean sun, frustration is setting in among the Figaro singlehanders competing in the Trophee BPE. In the 50 mile wide passage between the eastern tip of Cuba and Haita there has been virtually no wind for the last 24 hours. Race leader Eric Drouglazet on Credit Maritime-ZeroTwo for example has covered just 42 miles in the last 24 hours, while for Charles Caudrelier on Bostik the situation has been ever worse - just 40 miles.

Sam Davies on board Skandia lost third place to Gildas Morvan's Cercle Verte on Saturday, only to regain it again last night and lose it again this morning.

Meanwhile as a result of the leaders' park up, the boats behind have been able to roll in from astern and now there is a situation where the top 10 boats are once again all within 42 miles of the leader.

ETA at Cienfuegos - who knows?

Sam Davies writes from on board...

Hello

The sun has just set over Cuba (yes - I can see Cuba) and Skandia is trickling along at 2.2 knots in 1.3 knots of wind (there is a bit of current)

That boat speed and wind speed has been typical of all of today! With occasional 5 knot "gusts!" It has been shifty and really difficult to sail. A lot of the time I have been at the tiller to try to keep her moving. That is tough too because it is roasting hot (especially with no wind) and there seems never to be any shade in the cockpit.

It is difficult to concentrate for long periods of time too, so I have given myself 'time off' to read my French comic book Titeuf that Caro gave me before the start - very funny! It is nice to have some light relief! (I have finished Robbie Williams!) It is almost impossible to sleep in the daytime heat, even though I know I am tired.

Also frustrating is that we can see (on the position reports) the boats behind zooming up on us in the breeze. I even heard Jeanne, Yannik and David talking on the VHF this evening, so I know they are not far. They were talking about how they had been stacking and filling their ballast - how depressing - all my gear is stacked forward and to LEEWARD to try to get some heel to keep the sails filled by gravity!

One bonus today though - I overtook Gildas! I was worried at how quickly he had got past me yesterday, and so it was a nice relief to reassure myself I am not slow, and just another proof of how fluky these conditions are. What a shame that this race is ending like this.

It was nice to see land - for the first time since the Azores - this morning I saw Haiti off to port. The visibility is impressive because it was over 20 miles away when I first saw it. I can still see it now... There was a paragraph in the sailing instructions that we should avoid the Haiti coasts because they are not secure - perhaps it is my chance to see Johnny Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean..... I think I am far enough away to be safe!

Now there is even less wind. It is looking like a quiet night! The only trouble is that the pilot can't steer very well when it is so light and we end up doing 360 degree turns, so I need to steer.....

Better go......

Sam