Branec extends

As front runners reach the Grand Banks in Faraday Mill OSTAR

Positions at noon

Boat Name	Lat	Long	DTF	Rating	Comments
MONOHULLS
Open 40 (Pen Duick)
HAYAI	46 59N	37 12W	1,498
VM MATERIAUX	49 37N	22 25W	2,096		Retired
ROARING FORTY	51 20N	21 16W	2,125		Retired-Returning to Kinsale/Cork
SPIRIT OF CANADA	51 43N	20 15W	2,163		Retired-Problems with Auto Helm
LA PROMESSE	50 49N	18 55W	2,244		Retired-Heading For Ireland/Plymouth
ROBOSAIL	50 49N	15 55W	2,359		Retired-Problems With Boom Vang
DESTINATION CALAIS	49 45N	14 34W	2,408		Retired-Problems With Boat
IRC 1 (Gipsy Moth)
OLYMPIAN CHALLENGER	47 54N	40 34W	1,376	1.152
ATLANTIX EXPRESS	46 05N	37 59W	1,498	1.311
ECHO ZULU	47 53N	37 31W	1,499	1.109
VIJAYA	48 49N	35 17W	1,582	1.056
CHIVAS III	48 41N	27 52W	1,903	1.045
OCTAVUS	50 18N	08 43W	2,624	1.063	Dismasted in Kinsale
BLUE SHADOW	49 03N	04 47W	2,790	1.121	Retired
IRC 2 (Jester)
TROIS MILLE SABORDS	45 34N	33 21W	1,670	0.998
REALITY	49 19N	22 59W	2,096	0.937
DE FRANSCHMAN	51 37N	18 30W	2,238	0.978	Retired-Broken Shroud
SUOMI KUDU	49 50N	14 04W	2,408	0.941	Retired-Problem With Forestay
ADRIENNE MAY	50 06N	13 39W	2,435	0.982	No Report Received
SEA BERYL	50 12N	07 45W	2,662	0.939	Retired to Plymouth
IRC 3 (Eira)
TAMARIND	47 44N	33 02W	1,663	0.892
ZEAL	48 35N	32 44W	1,702	0.922
CHIMP	49 10N	30 43W	1,781	0.909
AMELIE OF DART	52 58N	30 24W	1,789	0.843
QUEST II	51 21N	27 48W	1,898	0.932
AYESHA OF ST MAWES	46 52N	26 21W	1,956	0.899
MULTIHULLS
Open 50 (Manureva)
BRANEC IV	45 20N	49 49W	992
ACANTHE INGENIERIE	50 03N	17 50W	2,283		Retired to France with Damaged Knee
MOCRA 1 (Three Cheers)
COTONELLA	48 30N	47 25W	1,104	1.653
SPIRIT	42 42N	43 44W	1,254	1.510
SHOCKWAVE	48 21N	37 36W	1,501	1.478
HOUD VAN HOUT	51 06N	33 19W	1,672	1.063
UP MY SLEEVE	51 41N	12 31W	2,462	1.422	Retired-Heading For Cork
MOLLYMAWK	49 08N	06 20W	2,715	1.627	Retired at Plymouth

The last 24 hours have seen OSTAR veteran Roger Langevin on Branec IV get the bit between his teeth and extend over his other multihull rivals. While Branec is now on the Grand Banks and sailed 243 miles yesterday to close to 906 miles from the next turning mark at Nantucket Island, conversely Italian Franco Manzoli on Cotonella on made 151 miles and appears to be heading almost due west towards the north of Newfoundland. Equally Pierre Antoine's brave move to the south on Spirit seems to not be paying dividends as the moment. He covered just 125 miles in the last 24 hours and still has 1155 miles to go to Nantucket Island.

Branec and Cotonella have been driving hard west to get into the favourable winds on the opposite side of a giant trough stretching south from Greenland, while Spirit's low mileage has been due to her having yet to get across. She is still pressed upwind on port.

However from here conditions appear to get very unsettled as the trough recedes north to be replaced by a high pressure centred just south of the Grand Banks at noon tomorrow. This will suddenly turn the tables with Spirit sailing in light to moderate 15 knot northeasterlies while Branec and Cotonella are upwind on the opposite side of this system. The south might still pay...

Among the monohulls Steve White on the Open 50 Olympian Challenger continues to hold a lead of more than 100 miles over second placed Atlantic Express.