Leaders consolidate

Minis approach the Brazilian coast

Sam Manuard and Manuel Castilla have been consolidating their positions as leaders in the proto and series classes in the Mini Transat as the front runners sail down the Brazilian coast.

Since the last sched the big surprise has come from Mini veteran Michel Mirabel on 421- Gwalarn IV who has overtaken Yann Riou on 318 - Thrane & Thrane, David Raison on 440- Liquid Ray, Jean-Pierre Balmès on 330- CECIM and Erwan Tymen 426 - Pogo 2 Navy Ballast and is now on third in the series class, 26 miles astern of Castilla.

The first arrivals are expected to cross the finish line off Salvador de Bahia on Thursday.

Jonathan McKee on board his striken Team McLube now appears to have changed course and is heading south for the finish line - although he has missed out a mark of the course.

Positions at 0700GMT

Pos	Sail no	Skipper	Boat	Class	Lat	Long	DTF
1	431	Samuel Manuard	TIP TOP TOO - LE GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUE	proto	S081505	W0341976	384.2
2	151	Armel Tripon	MOULIN ROTY	proto	S071836	W0335481	443.9
3	240	Alex Pella	AQUATEC - SANTIVERI - TEXKNIT	proto	S062891	W0334645	488.7
4	347	Pierre Rolland	EXTRADO	proto	S061528	W0332020	515
5	260	Richard Mérigeaux	BON PIED BON OEIL	proto	S052586	W0324631	574.8
6	354	Bruno Garcia	SALADINO	proto	S045338	W0321815	617.6
7	353	Willy Garcia	CEYLAN DIAMANTES	proto	S045080	W0321941	618.9
8	312	Pascal Doin	ASNQ	proto	S044476	W0321623	625.6
9	303	Enrico Podesta	DIABOLO-SLAM	proto	S043236	W0315083	650.7
10	139	François Cuinet	REGLISSE	proto	S040435	W0321836	657.6
11	385	Jaume Mumbru	PORT DE BARCELONA	proto	S040931	W0315883	664.6
12	167	Manuel Castilla	VISION ORIGINALE	serie	S034375	W0321626	676
13	346	Sébastien Roubinet	ADRENALINE	proto	S032871	W0320726	693.5
14	258	Marc Gascons	TIP-TOP	proto	S034895	W0313608	694.3
15	428	David Sineau	FRANCE FERMETURES	serie	S032735	W0320425	696.3
16	326	Ian Munslow	ISHTAR	proto	S032541	W0315931	700.9
17	421	Michel Mirabel	GWALARN IV	serie	S040108	W0310681	702.3
18	318	Yann Riou	THRANE & THRANE	serie	S032828	W0314971	706
19	426	Erwan Tymen	POGO 2 NAVY LEST	serie	S034420	W0311230	712.3
20	440	David Raison	RAYON LIQUIDE	serie	S030566	W0320866	714.2
21	330	Jean-Pierre Balmes	CECIM	serie	S030178	W0315465	723.1
22	393	Cian McCarthy	THE TOM CREAN	proto	S024881	W0321893	729.4
23	227	Donald Wright	RUSSE NOIR	proto	S030136	W0311830	747.3
24	185	Thomas Valentin	THOMAS HAWK	proto	S024601	W0312885	750.6
25	322	Gilles Guillerm	BLUE BOSSA	serie	S024801	W0311996	755
26	282	Erwan Abalain	MARION NOEL CONSEILS	serie	S030747	W0305620	762.6
27	269	Lionel Rubio de Teran	GROUPE CIBF	serie	S020058	W0314333	783.9
28	209	Bertrand Lecharpentier	NEC HONFLEUR	serie	S021320	W0311476	785.4
29	316	Pia L'Obry	EXPATRIA.FR	proto	S024250	W0302681	800.4
30	352	Luis Irisarri	DEVIAJE.COM	proto	S025686	W0301293	806.2
31	247	Jonathan McKee	TEAM MC LUBE	proto	S055678	W0335376	823.3
32	250	Brieuc Maisoneuve	PAYS GRANVILLAIS	serie	S020093	W0302438	827.6
33	168	Fabrice Guillerm	RAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIRE	serie	S010278	W0313078	842.8
34	245	Patrick Bot	FINIST'MER ECOLE NAVALE	serie	S010001	W0313986	843.1
35	345	Cécile Poujol	INFORMATIQUE ET STATISTIQUES	serie	S013625	W0302148	847.4
36	36	Peter de Smedt	HUYSMAN	proto	S012590	W0302955	850.2
37	388	Yves Niort	DEMI-CLE SHIPCHANDLER	serie	S012356	W0303016	851.7
38	295	David Sautret	MIKALOU SAILING	serie	S005288	W0311705	856.5
39	175	Adam Seamans	SPIRIT OF AMERICA	serie	S022265	W0293216	857.7
40	321	Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty	ARTECH - CAEN LA MER	proto	S004791	W0304915	872.1
41	135	Stéphane Ayrault	WYETH	proto	S005733	W0302668	875.2
42	329	Laurent Jaunin	TERRE-ET-FAUNE.ORG	serie	S011011	W0294628	890.4
43	444	Isabelle Magois	EDEN PARK	proto	S004260	W0300143	901.7
44	416	Daniel Schaffer	SENSIL	proto	S005371	W0292111	919.8
45	340	Rémi Beauvais	SPI CALL CENTER	serie	N000505	W0303601	925.6
46	373	Christophe Dary	SAGA MERCEDES BENZ	serie	N000640	W0303651	926.6
47	381	Gonzalo Botin	DON VITO	serie	S010900	W0285621	928.3
48	333	Arsène Ledertheil	LA CIGOGNE DE L'OCEAN	proto	N001456	W0302375	939.4
49	29	Arthur Barret	UBAYE	proto	N003112	W0302197	955.1
50	34	Gustavo Pacheco	EPSILON	proto	N000875	W0293730	957.6
51	56	James Bird	ATOMIC	proto	S004863	W0281933	969.9
52	342	Alessandro Zamagna	ARKE	proto	N010713	W0305676	977
53	335	Barnabé Chivot	FTH THIRARD	proto	N010451	W0302160	986
54	89	Rémy Malburet	SOEUR MARIE THERESE DES BATIGNOLLES	serie	N013848	W0302900	1015
55	371	Juan Carlos Sanchis Mari	SPASMOS	serie	N020925	W0300650	1052
56	360	Henri Gourmelon	TOBABOOTS	serie	N014641	W0283968	1071
57	277	François-Jacques Jauffrineau	VENDEE PRISMA	proto	N030695	W0295611	1110
58	262	Eric Schmitt	LA LIMULE	serie	N034101	W0294986	1144
59	47	Bernard Morin	JOGGING INTERNATIONAL	serie	N050536	W0280520	1261
60	109	Gaspard Franeau	AVOCATS SANS FRONTIERES	proto	N052928	W0254281	1354
61	355	Jacques Valente	ACTION INNOCENCE	serie	N073071	W0260541	1445
NC	121	David Lancry	MENSURA FROST	proto	-	-
NC	138	Eric Defert	AMIRAL DE BRETAGNE	proto	-	-