Beyou on track

Figaro sailors close on finish line

Overnight Jérémie Beyou racing Delta Dore has pulled out a three mile lead in the Solitaire Affelou du Figaro and barring major disaster looks set to win this year's effective world championship of singlehanded offshore racing. At 0630 Beyou and second placed Michel Desjoyeaux on Geant were passing to the east of Ile d'Yeu. Beyou had just 28.5 miles to go to reach the finish line off Port Bourgenay, the boats gybing downwind in 15 knots northwesterly breeze. With Beyou making 5.5 knots, suggests a finish time of around midday today.

The only conceivable upset is that the boats are gybing downwind and Beyou and Desjoyeaux appear to be on opposite gybes, the former Vendee Globe winner taking the more offshore course.

Overnight the boats clocked average speeds close to 10 knots with the wind slowing veering to the northwest at 20-25 knots and very poor visibility. With the wind dropping the rough conditions at the finish line, have slackened slightly over the past few hours.

Positions at 0630

Pos	Skipper	Boat	Latitude	Longitude	Crs	Spd	DTF	DTL
1	BEYOU Jérémie	Delta Dore	46 42' 30' N	2 15' 12' W	113°	5.5	28.5
2	DESJOYEAUX Michel	Géant	46 43' 56' N	2 19' 38' W	171°	6.6	31.5	3
3	KRAUSS Oliver	Espoir Crédit Agricole	46 43' 80' N	2 19' 98' W	157°	4.8	32	3.5
4	VENIARD Gérald	Scutum	46 44' 52' N	2 22' 50' W	105°	4.7	33.8	5.3
5	MORVAN Gildas	Cercle Vert	46 45' 24' N	2 22' 86' W	105°	5.6	34.5	6
6	ELIES Yann	Groupe Generali Assurances	46 45' 60' N	2 24' 78' W	113°	6	35.8	7.3
7	de PAVANT Kito	Groupe Bel	46 47' 28' N	2 22' 56' W	149°	5.5	36	7.5
8	GREGOIRE Jeanne	Banque Populaire	46 49' 56' N	2 25' 02' W	152°	5.5	38.7	10.2
9	DUTHIL Frédéric	Brossard	46 46' 20' N	2 30' 90' W	113°	7.8	40	11.5
10	BERENGER Nicolas	KONE Ascenseurs	46 47' 16' N	2 31' 38' W	117°	6.9	40.5	12
11	PELLECUER Laurent	Cliptol Sport	46 46' 32' N	2 34' 32' W	107°	7.8	42.1	13.6
12	LE CLEAC'H Armel	Foncia-TBS	46 49' 02' N	2 33' 24' W	117°	6.6	42.5	14
13	DROUGLAZET Eric	Crédit Maritime	46 50' 22' N	2 35' 58' W	111°	5.8	44.5	16
14	TABARLY Erwan	Thales	46 50' 82' N	2 39' 18' W	109°	6.2	46.9	18.4
15	CAUDRELIER Charles	Bostik	46 50' 10' N	2 40' 50' W	114°	6.8	47.4	18.9
16	EMIG Marc	Total	46 50' 82' N	2 42' 90' W	111°	6.3	49.2	20.7
17	ATTANASIO Romain	MrBookmaker.com	46 54' 96' N	2 42' 78' W	141°	4.6	51.2	22.7
18	D'ALI Pietro	Nanni Diesel	46 58' 56' N	2 41' 16' W	96°	4.6	52.7	24.2
19	VITTET Dominic	ATAO Audio System	46 55' 74' N	2 49' 08' W	128°	4.9	55.3	26.8
20	CHABAGNY Thierry	Lèbre Bermudes	46 58' 74' N	2 48' 00' W	81°	5.5	56.3	27.8
21	SVILARICH Etienne	Sogeti	47 02' 28' N	2 44' 22' W	95°	5.4	56.8	28.3
22	LE GAL Franck	Lenze	46 57' 78' N	2 49' 98' W	87°	5.3	56.9	28.4
23	DAVIES Samantha	Skandia	46 57' 12' N	3 00' 24' W	85°	5.5	62.6	34.1
24	TROUSSEL Nicolas	All Mer	46 58' 74' N	3 06' 78' W	140°	6.9	67.3	38.8
25	TRIPON Armel	Gedimat	47 04' 68' N	3 19' 80' W	96°	6.8	74.7	46.2
26	WARDLEY Liz	Sojasun	46 59' 76' N	3 18' 66' W	134°	6.7	75.3	46.8
27	PETIT Benoit	Défi Santé Voile	47 05' 34' N	3 15' 66' W	103°	6.8	75.8	47.3
28	AUDIGANE Sébastien	D'Aucy Cultive la vie	47 00' 60' N	3 19' 38' W	108°	7	76	47.5
29	BESTAVEN Yannick	Aquarelle.com	47 02' 34' N	3 21' 60' W	109°	6.5	78	49.5
30	ROGNON Cyrille	ENO & Navi Line	47 10' 92' N	3 21' 96' W	139°	6.7	82.3	53.8
31	DEFERT Eric	Amiral de Bretagne - Suzuki	47 09' 54' N	3 25' 20' W	96°	6.7	83.5	55
32	MOUREN Jean-Paul	M@rseillentreprises	47 12' 06' N	3 27' 06' W	99°	6.8	85.8	57.3
33	BIGOT Gaël	Team 117	47 14' 76' N	3 29' 70' W	134°	6.4	88.8	60.3
34	CASO Jean Christophe	Groupe STEC / Charente Maritime	47 16' 14' N	3 38' 82' W	142°	6.2	89	60.5
35	BOUVET Christophe	Bo Travail !	47 16' 26' N	3 34' 92' W	129°	6.2	89.5	61
36	NABART Laurent	Corsica	47 15' 30' N	3 31' 98' W	127°	6.8	90.4	61.9
37	RIECHERS Jorg	Germanytoo	46 59' 94' N	3 58' 32' W	93°	7.8	101.1	72.6
38	FOURNIER FOCH Thierry	Cortal Consors	47 13' 92' N	3 59' 28' W	126°	7.4	106.1	77.6
39	BOUGARD Patrice	Kogane	47 12' 90' N	4 05' 46' W	138°	7.5	109.6	81.1
40	SEVAUX Stéphane	Sarthe	47 22' 32' N	4 02' 76' W	107°	6.4	112	83.5
41	THETIOT Sébastien	Déclic Morbihan	47 31' 32' N	4 14' 46' W	144°	7.5	119.8	91.3
NL	LEPESQUEUX Marc	Maisons Pierre	-		°
NL	PEAN Lionel	L'Esprit d'Equipe	-		°
ABD	ALFARO Amaiur	www.pays-basque-entreprises.com	-		°
ABD	BOS Christian	Raynal et Roquelaure	-		°
ABD	EINHORN Jacques	Connivence	-		°