And another

Field ever growing for Sunday's Defi Atlantique

Sunday's start of the Defi Atlantique singlehanded race will have another entry we have learned today.

Anne Liardet is the last registered in the race and will be sailing Gonna-Gitcha, the boat Mike Birch and his son Robert raced to Salvador de Bahia in the Transat Jacques Vabre earlier this month.

Philippe Monnet, the owner of the boat in which he set the present westabout singlehanded non-stop round the world record is a friend of Liardet who is believed to have offered Monnet a plane ticket to Brazil in exchange for sailing the boat back.

Liardet only heard on Monday that the boat was free for the race back. "It's taken me 48 hours to find a nanny for my three children," said Liardet who has since had to borrow the 2000 Euros entry fee from her parents and friends.

Like the other competitors Liardet is using the Defi Atlantique as a qualifier for next year's Vendee Globe in which she has an entry.