Solidaire du Chocolat: South of Jamaica

mare continues to hold a 50 mile lead

Solidaire du Chocolat charts courtesy of Expedition/Tasman Bay Navigation Systems and GRIB (European model) from PredictWind

Positions at 0430 UTC:

The Solidaire du Chocolat Class40s have spent the weekend champagne sailing through the Caribbbean - downwind with decent breeze and balmy temperatures. Almost all have put in an almighty leg south, some boats only gybing when they got to within 40 miles of the Venezuelan coast on Saturday morning.

Jorg Riechers and Marc Lepesqueux have done a great job keeping mare in the lead. Still more than 50 miles ahead, she is currently 114 miles southwest of the western tip of Jamaica with 619 miles to go before the finish. Following in her wake, the trio behind continue to gun for second place with Stéphane Le Diraison and Adrien Hardy on Agir Recouvrement-Bureau Veritas edging ahead slightly from Yannick Bestaven and Eric Drouglazet on Aquarelle.com.

Sébastien Rogues and Bertrand Delesne on Eole Generation-GDF Suez in fifth place are choosing a slightly different tactic, further in the north, but it looks like they will get caught in the lee of Jamaica, currently 42 miles to their north. 

The leaders are currently benefitting from an easterly flow being generated by an area of high pressure centred over Florida.

Over the next 24 hours the wind is forecast to veer into the southeast and as a result the leaders will find themselves gybing downwind which may open up some opportunities as they head for the gap between the western end of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. However it looks like they will remain in pressure all the way to the finish.