Le Cleac'h hangs in there

Solitaire du Figaro fleet mid-Bay of Biscay

Friday July 30th 2010, Author: James Boyd, Location: France

Positions at 0800:

Pos Skipper Boat Spd Crs DTF/L
1  LE CLEAC'H Armel BRIT AIR 6.5 171 108.10 nm
2  ELIES Yann GENERALI-EUROP ASSISTANCE 6.8 170 0.40 nm
3  PERON Eric SKIPPER MACIF 2009 6.7 169 0.70 nm
4  GABART François SKIPPER MACIF 2010 6.4 169 1.60 nm
5  ROUXEL Thomas Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne 6.2 171 2.10 nm
6  RICHOMME Yoann DLBC 7.9 175 2.60 nm
7  TABARLY Erwan NACARAT 5.9 166 3.00 nm
8  HARDY Adrien AGIR Recouvrement 5.8 168 3.20 nm
9  BEYOU Jérémie BPI 7.8 185 3.20 nm
10  LOISON Alexis ALLMER INEO-GDF-SUEZ 5.6 173 3.30 nm
11  DOUGUET Corentin E.LECLERC MOBILE 5.1 167 3.40 nm
12  TREUSSART Ronan LUFTHANSA 5.7 173 4.10 nm
13  MORVAN Gildas CERCLE VERT 6.4 173 4.30 nm
14  FAUCONNIER Karine ERIC BOMPARD Cachemire 5.7 174 4.50 nm
15  GREGOIRE Jeanne BANQUE POPULAIRE 5.9 173 4.60 nm
16  DELAHAYE Fabien PORT DE CAEN OUISTREHAM 6.2 169 4.60 nm
17  PELLECUER Laurent Arnolfini.fr 7.6 189 4.70 nm
18  de PAVANT Kito GROUPE BEL 5.6 171 5.10 nm
19  ATTANASIO Romain SAVEOL 6.3 166 5.80 nm
20  MONNET Jean-Charles PARIS15 - Château PEYRAT-FOURTHON 7.5 175 5.80 nm
21  DUTHIL Frederic BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM 7.5 175 5.90 nm
22  DROUGLAZET Eric LUISINA 6.5 167 6.00 nm
23  TRIPON Armel Gedimat 5.7 168 6.30 nm
24  STAMM Bernard CHEMINEES POUJOULAT 7.4 187 6.70 nm
25  GOUEZIGOUX Laurent TRIER C'EST PRESERVER 5.5 170 6.90 nm
26  JOSCHKE Isabelle SYNERGIE 6 174 7.00 nm
27  GUILLOU Damien LA SOLIDARITE MUTUALISTE 6 172 7.10 nm
28  MARCHAND Anthony ESPOIR REGION BRETAGNE 7.9 192 7.90 nm
29  MOUREN Jean-Paul M@RSEILLENTREPRISES 7.1 188 7.90 nm
30  GIROLET Matthieu ENTREPRENDRE (Lafont Presse) 8.1 194 7.90 nm
31  NICOL Jean-Pierre BERNARD CONTROLS 6.1 165 8.40 nm
32  JOSSIER Nicolas IMPULSION - Pays Granvillais 7.5 175 8.80 nm
33  EMIG Marc marcemigetmoi.com 7.2 194 9.00 nm
34  JOSSE Sébastien Vendée 6 153 10.10 nm
35  LUNVEN Nicolas GENERALI 6 151 10.20 nm
36  BOUILLARD Didier SUNGARD 6.2 171 10.20 nm
37  CLOAREC Damien PORT DE PLAISANCE ROSCOFF 6.2 172 10.40 nm
38  LE VAILLANT Arthur PHILIA PROMOTION IMMOBILIERE 6.5 150 10.50 nm
39  MALBON Jonny ARTEMIS 4.7 161 10.60 nm
40  D'ALI Pietro I.NOVA -3 6.1 173 10.70 nm
41  RIVET Frédéric VENDEE 1 5.9 167 11.00 nm
42  LE GARREC Loic SOCIETE POULIQUEN 6.3 142 13.30 nm
43  GODART-PHILIPPE Arnaud SENOBLE 7 189 14.10 nm
44  TANNYERES Louis Maurice STERICSSON 7.2 186 28.00 nm
45  LOBATO Francisco ROFF/Tempo-Team 6.6 212 34.80 nm

Armel le Cleac'h and BritAir continue to lead the Solitaire du Figaro fleet towards Gijon, and with 108 miles to go for the leader, the fleet is  expected to arrive tonight.

The fleet has spread out a little. At the latest sched the top 17 boats remain within 5 miles of the leader, compared to the top 36 yesterday.

With the Azores high encroaching into the Bay of Biscay, so overnight the boats have experienced a significant wind shift from the northwest to the northeast causing everyone to gybe. It is presumably this moment and the choice of when to gybe as well as a bunch of exhausted skippers attempting to get the best out of the light conditions that has caused the slight shake-up in the fleet.

The high resolution GRIB for the sea area ahead indicates that the boats at present are sailing in very light northerlies with the wind dropping off to nothing this afternoon on the west side of the race track, closest to the high. This afternoon the wind will benefit the leaders who will be sailing into more pressure from the northeast, the wind continuing to veer slowly almost into the east as they approach the coast.

The three leaders remain in the middle of the race track (although second placed Yann Elies will be disqualified upon his arrival for his trip to the beach which required him to motor off) however a few skippers, including 2009 Solitaire winner Nicolas Lunven and Seb Josse, have chosen to spear off significantly to the east, where they might find slightly better pressure.

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