Approaching Bilbao

Jourdren/de Pavant continue to lead but 40 Degrees is up to second in the Class 40's 1000 Milles Brittany Ferries

Tuesday August 26th 2008, Author: James Boyd, Location: United Kingdom
Pos Skipper Boat Lat Long Crs Spd DTF
1 Bruno JOURDREN LORD JIMINY 45 04.60 N 3 45.28 W 175º 3.9 539 nm
2 Peter HARDING 40 DEGREES 45 14.84 N 4 08.56 W 179 º 4.8 550 nm
3 Wilfrid CLERTON CGMER 45 17.24 N 3 39.48 W 188 º 4.2 551 nm
4 Gonzalo BOTIN TALES 45 20.72 N 3 47.40 W 178 º 3.5 555 nm
5 Olivier GRASSI GRASSI BATEAUX 45 26.04 N 4 03.44 W 174 º 3 561 nm
6 Erik NIGON AXA ATOUT COEUR POUR AIDES 45 28.52 N 3 56.80 W 176 º 2.6 563 nm
7 Tanguy de LAMOTTE NOVEDIA GROUP-SET ENVIRONNEMENT 45 29.84 N 4 15.48 W 198 º 3 566 nm
8 Gilles DUTOIT TECHNEAU 45 35.84 N 3 35.60 W 193 º 1.9 570 nm
9 Jacques FOURNIER OCEANS ELEVEN 45 37.36 N 3 36.12 W 198 º 2.2 572 nm
10 Pascal DOIN GROUPE PHR 45 38.60 N 3 43.96 W 200 º 2.9 573 nm
11 Marc JOLY VOILES SANS FRONTIERES 45 41.52 N 3 55.20 W 191 º 2.4 576 nm
12 Christian CHARDONNAL NEURODON.FR 45 43.08 N 3 30.56 W 158 º 1.2 578 nm
13 Axel STRAUSS TZU HANG 46 00.60 N 3 53.40 W 207 º 1.3 595 nm
14 Alexis GUILLAUME MERENA 46 01.32 N 3 48.16 W 210 º 2.3 595 nm
NL Arnaud AUBRY AUTO MAXI
ABD Benoit PARNAUDEAU PREVOIR VIE 46 18.80 N 1 42.68 W 111 º 4.6 634 nm
ABD Christophe COATNAN GROUPE PARTOUCHE 49 56.56 N 0 34.16 E 84 º 10 1047 nm
 
This morning finds the 15 Class 40s still competing in the 1000 Milles Brittany Ferries mid-Bay of Biscay heading south for the next stopover port of Bilbao where they will make a six hour pitstop before returning north once again.

At present the potent duo of Figaro veterans Bruno Jourdren and Kito de Pavant are still leading in their red Rogers-designed Lord Jiminy with just over 100 miles to go to the Basque port. Overnight Peter Harding and Miranda Merron on board the sole British yacht in the race, 40 Degrees, have pulled up to second by taking a more westerly route south. However Harding and Merron are just a nose ahead of the chasing.

With a shallow depression over northwest Spain, the winds are currently light easterlies but the leaders are sailing into more breeze as they approach the coast - the GRIB files also show the wind filliing in from the west too (ie good for 40 Degrees) - so expect the rich to get richer.

While the conditions in the Bay of Biscay are mild, this could not be said of their crossing from St Malo to Plymouth over the weekend. Jourdren and de Pavant were first into Plymouth at the end of the first leg that saw two boats retire, including Benoit Parnaudeau's robust Prevoir Vie.

"The night was Dantesque," described PHR skipper Pascal Doin on their arrival in Plymouth. "And as night fell, the wind was rising. We were surfing at up to 15-16 knots. We had 25 knots of wind when we arrived in Plymouth in a very dark night. The arrival was really tense."

Lord Jiminy, crossed the finish line in Plymouth at 01:03:53 GMT on Sunday morning, but just two minutes ahead of the Spanish duo, Gonzalo Botin and Alex Pella on the new version of the Akilaria, Talès.

Miranda Merron reports from on board 40 Degrees

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful - sunny, almost warm, and straight line sailing, until just before dark when the wind shifted to the south. We put in a few tacks to reach the tidal funnel at the top of the Chenal du Four, and made it all the way to the Raz de Sein on favourable current. 40 Degrees has done this route several times, and Peter mentioned that he has never seen it in daylight. Some of the jagged rocks are visible at night, however.

Now we are in the Bay of Biscay on our way to the next pit-stop in Santander. We have one boat close behind, ensuring we sail as fast as possible. It is grey, shifty and drizzling. We have sailed almost all year in midlayers, foulies and boots. We may yet get summer though - in the form of a high pressure ridge (ie no wind at all) parked right across Biscay, which we need to cross. Could take a while!

Miranda/ 40 Degrees 47 17N 4 32W, TWS 12 kts, COG 170

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