Solidaire du Chocolat: St Barts this afternoon

Chasing trio close on race leader mare

Solidaire du Chocolat charts courtesy of Expedition/Tasman Bay Navigation Systems

Positions at 0430 UTC:

Solidaire du Chocolat leader mare is just 67 miles from the St Barts turning mark at the latest sched, although as she is sailing directly downwind she going to have to sail more miles and it is unlikely to be until early this afternoon UTC that the first arrival in the doublehanded Class 40 race officially reaches the Caribbean. The boats are obliged to leave the island of Pain de Sucre at the entrance to St Barts' Gustavia Harbour to starboard.

Over the last 24 hours the boats have made it through a transition in the weather and among the leaders the boats in the north have done best, with second placed Stéphane Le Diraison and Adrien Hardy on Agir Recouvrement-Bureau Veritas closing to 27 miles yesterday evening UTC. Worried by this threat mare has been erring to the west to cover the casing trio to her north which this morning are 31 miles adrift of the race leader with Aquarelle.com and Agir Recouvrement-Bureau Veritas impressively still neck and neck as they have been for the last four days. At the latest sched Yannick Bestaven and Eric Drouglazet aboard Aquarelle.com are recording the highest average speed in the fleet.