Round Recife

And another new leader, as leading duo match race to Salvador with two days to go in Mini Transat

There's nothing like having another boat alongside to race against and this is perhaps one reason why Corentin Douguet and Alex Pella have been slogging it out over the last few days for the lead in the Mini Transat. Overnight as the boats have passed Recife, the advantage has turned to Pella as the two boats have converged on to the same course with Pella this morning 8.3 miles ahead. Once again - but this time with the exception of those such as Adrien Hardy, Phil Sharp and Tanguy de la Motte, the lead duo have extended on all the fleet. In southeasterly breeze of 15-20 knots for the lead duo it is simply a case of keeping the pedal to the metal as they drag race south. In these conditions it is marginal whether you can sleep and rely on the pilot to steer, so it will be a case of he who sleeps less will win.

It should be remembered that the winner of the Mini Transat overall is based on the elasped times of both legs and while Douguet won the first leg, Pella finished seventh, 9 hours and 38 minutes astern. Yesterday Pella covered 195 miles at an average of 8.125 knots. Therefore he would need to be around 78 miles ahead of Douguet to win the race overall. Barring disaster this is just not going to happen, breaking the Mini truism that 'whoever wins leg two wins the race'.

The positions below show that Phil Sharp has pulled up into fifth place, however this is because there is no position today for Credit Agricole skipper Stanislas Maslard, who yesterday was fifth, 20 miles ahead of Sharp. Sharp has gained the most on the leaders in the last 24 hours, so it is possible that he is now fifth on the water.

Yesterday afternoon there was disaster for Aloys Claquin on Vecteur Plus. Prior to the start of the Mini Transat, based on his results through the yesterday Claquin was considered one of the favourites for the Mini Transat, however this hasn't been born out in this race, the Frenchman finishing 21st on the first leg and then hitting a ship after he suffered a steering problem shortly after the start of leg 2. Now the steering system on Vecteur Plus has finally given up the ghost and Claquin has abandoned the race. The support vessel of former maxi-multihull skipper Patrick Morvan has gone to the rescue and picked up Claquin.

"Sunday around midday I was sailing in a formed sea, when there was no feeling in the rudder away. I turned round and I saw my rudder 15 metres behind the boat. Vecteur Plus was laid over on her side, during which time the rudder was also torn off, leaving me without any spare or any chance of making a repair. I therefore decided to ask for assistance. Early the next morning Jacky de Belon arrived, took me on board and my boat in tow. I am disappointed obviously."


Positions at 0700

Pos	Skipper	Boat	Sail	Cls	Lat	Long	DTF	DTL	DTLC
1	Pella Alex	OPEN SEA / TEAM WORK.	429	P	S085083	W0345095	337.3		11.3
2	Douguet Corentin	E. LECLERC / BOUYGUES TELECOM	433	P	S084253	W0344803	345.6	8.3	-11.3
3	Joschke Isabelle	DEGREMONT	276	P	S074075	W0340078	423	85.7	-2.8
4	Hardy Adrien	BROSSARD	198	P	S071981	W0341608	430.5	93.2	5
5	Sharp Philip	LE GALLAIS	419	P	S070808	W0335736	450.9	113.6	15
6	Lancry David	AREAS ASSURANCES	454	P	S063458	W0334970	482.6	145.3	-5
7	De Lamotte Tanguy	SET ENVIRONNEMENT POUR MECENAT CHIRURGIE CARDIAQUE	424	P	S063678	W0331516	501.2	163.9	0.2
8	Gindre Pierre	LINKERS-LUISINA	321	P	S062818	W0332192	503.9	166.6	-14.2
9	Gladu Sébastien	ARMOR LUX	427	P	S063175	W0330783	509.7	172.4	-5.3
10	Noblet Yvan	APPART CITY	391	P	S055146	W0333931	524.1	186.8	-14.1
11	Mergui Mikaël	MARCEL FOREVER	491	P	S061053	W0330173	530.1	192.8	-28.8
12	Mihelin Andraz	ADRIA MOBIL TOO	510	P	S055715	W0324193	552.8	215.5	-1.9
13	Laureyssens Peter	WELLMENTS	438	S	S050885	W0330370	579.2	241.9	-26.8
14	Cassanas Matthieu	METALCO MOBILIER URBAIN	312	P	S053021	W0322753	582.8	245.5	-33.6
15	Caracci Andrea	SPEEDY BONSAI	431	P	S050451	W0324156	595.2	257.9	-15.3
16	Giraud Clément	ADRENALINE METROPOLE ARC.	346	P	S045323	W0323876	606.1	268.8	-29
17	Gallay Bernard	FDI GROUPE	551	P	S042458	W0323091	634.1	296.8	-35.7
19	Barrier Alexia	ROXY	139	P	S033643	W0321801	682.4	345.1	-45.3
20	Bunoust Nicolas	GROUPE SCE	231	P	S034028	W0325076	698.9	361.6	-130.4
21	Deshayes Ronan	PCO TECHNOLOGIES	368	S	S032638	W0315871	700.4	363.1	-59.4
22	Sottovia Bruno	APROTEC MORZINE	468	S	S030478	W0320293	716.3	379	-46.7
23	Bubb Nick	WHITTLEBURY HALL	500	P	S024520	W0314590	741.9	404.6	-52.8
24	Avram Olivier	CAP MONDE	480	S	S023821	W0315400	743.6	406.3	-53.3
25	De Saqui David	LADY PAULETTE	466	S	S022431	W0312968	768.2	430.9	-68.2
26	Ducrot Cyril	REGION NORD PAS DE CALAIS	260	P	S013733	W0314715	799.4	462.1	-45.4
27	Sannié Mathieu	LPO LIGUE POUR LA PROTECTION DES OISEAUX	487	S	S014395	W0312911	802.8	465.5	-52.3
28	Bourrié Eric	ASSOCIATION LAURETTE FUGAIN	340	S	S013428	W0314048	805.4	468.1	-60.2
29	Mumbru Jaime	ULISSES 65	385	P	S015128	W0311045	806.4	469.1	-51.4
30	Mesure Sébastien	CULTISOL - MARINS SANS FRONTIERES	483	S	S015363	W0305721	811.6	474.3	-63.7
31	Sorin Fabrice	JULES	518	S	S012643	W0313640	814.2	476.9	-65.6
32	Hajnsek Kristian	ADRIA MOBIL	509	P	S024442	W0294123	816	478.7	-478.7
33	Claquin Aloys	VECTEUR PLUS	265	P	S010656	W0315741	821.4	484.1	-80.8
34	Chombart de Lauwe Marine	DCF	481	S	S011601	W0311526	833.9	496.6	-73.4
35	Pontu Sylvain	UNE PLACE POUR CHACUN	516	S	S012548	W0305863	834.5	497.2	-68.1
36	Blaise Philippe-Jacques	DELILALOS	406	P	S001848	W0314503	869.7	532.4	-58.4
37	Boudaoud Arezki	TOTEM	389	S	N002591	W0304480	937.4	600.1	-100.6
38	Marchand Nicolas	IUT DE NIMES EN SEPTIMANIE	432	P	N002235	W0300091	956.6	619.3	-66
39	Sudrie Erwann	GWENN HA DU - PAVILLON NOIR	93	P	N005810	W0310073	958.1	620.8	-78.1
40	Mariotti Ludovic	KHIPLUS	392	P	N005070	W0295065	986.1	648.8	-80.8
41	Augeix David	NACL	323	S	N013111	W0305986	987.9	650.6	-90.1
42	Haize Xavier	PRIM'AVEL	171	S	N010146	W0295008	995.6	658.3	-80.5
43	Bourguet-Maurice Frédéric	PAMINA	508	P	N010268	W0294156	1001	663.8	-67.1
44	Vidal Romain	BINGO	511	S	N012071	W0294923	1013	675.3	-79.5
45	Hochreutener Tobias	COMPLETE FREIGHT	386	P	N015321	W0300488	1033	695.8	-97.3
46	Delplace Yann	VILLE DE NICE CONSEIL GENERAL DES ALPES MARITIMES	284	P	N002661	W0272880	1048	710.4	-91
47	Croisel Bruno	PULCO	488	S	N014655	W0290898	1056	718.2	-91.1
48	Bauwens Eric	RETINA France	486	S	N012956	W0281828	1069	731.6	-110.1
49	Roux Frédéric	PEPITO	80	P	N020633	W0290396	1075	737.7	-95.1
50	Voultoury Pierre	C2O	395	P	N020231	W0283440	1087	750	-88.7
51	Fisseux Patrice	BELLOT MULLENBACH & ASSOCIES	75	P	N021406	W0283955	1094	757.1	-108.1
52	Bouillard Philippe	MONDIAL ASSISTANCE	475	S	N022805	W0285250	1100	762.2	-115.4
53	Goyat Michel	GROUPE INFODIS	318	S	N024176	W0291436	1100	762.9	-105.4
54	Lagrange Jean-Christophe	ZOUKATI	212	S	N025985	W0285953	1123	785.9	-111.4
55	Kargl Christian	PRIMA NAUTICA	243	P	N033673	W0285143	1159	821.9	-129
56	Bergman Manuel	FELIBRE GRAINE D'EPEAUTRE	287	S	N030828	W0273276	1176	838.9	-127.4
57	Charmet Nicolas	LA LIGUE CONTRE LE CANCER	19	P	N034800	W0281205	1189	851.5	-135.8
58	David Lefebvre	KNAUF - VENDEE	507	S	N030888	W0264243	1205	867.9	-112.5
59	Daret Dominique	MEYRIS	407	S	N033781	W0272328	1206	868.8	-156.7
60	Loulier Pierre	LOP LOP	320	S	N033833	W0271936	1209	871.3	-130.1
61	Ramon Hugo	MALLORCA ETS TU	450	S	N033973	W0271433	1213	875.3	-147.9
62	Currier Adam	SATECH	176	P	N041026	W0273371	1228	890.5	-115.4
63	Simpson Stephen	BLUE ONE	241	P	N034405	W0265085	1229	891.9	-164.6
64	Chua Elaine	FENG	540	S	N052911	W0275781	1283	946.1	-104.2
65	Monegier Quentin	MARIOLE	219	S	N053276	W0275140	1290	952.4	-118
66	Bluy Xavier	SMETS	78	P	N055358	W0245270	1403	1065.5	-142.9
NC	Maslard Stanislas	CREDIT AGRICOLE SKIPPER CHALLENGE	417	P			0
AB	Duc Louis	GROUPE ROYER	306	S	Abandon
AB	Sanchis Mari Juan Carlos	SPASMOS	403	P	Abandon
AB	Courtel Jean-Christophe	SAFI SOCIETE D'AMENAGEMENT DU FINISTERE	495	S	Abandon
AB	Le Blevec Yves	POINT MARIAGE	151	P		Abandon