| Douguet retakes Mini lead |
At 0500 this morning Corentin Douguet, the Mini Transat race favourite aboard E Leclerc/Bouygues Telecom, regained the lead from Spanish sailor Alex Pella on Open Sea/Teamwork.
Douguet, who's racing a two-year old Manuard design, took the race lead on Saturday evening soon after the start but on the first night, in the extremely breezy conditions as the fleet headed south/west towards their first port of call - Lanzarote - Pella managed to overall the race leader. For the last 24 hours there's been just a few miles between the two.
In less than 10kts of wind from the north-north-west Douguet is now two miles ahead, further out to the west while Pella is slightly further east. The leaders are now 100 miles from Cape Finisterre and should, if the wind holds, round the point tonight.
Peter Laureyssens, the Belgian sailor on Wellments retains control of the Series class, while Cian McCarthy, the Irish sailor who broke his mast at 0200 yesterday morning, continues to make slow progress back to the mainland. He is now 80 miles from La Rochelle and should be met soon by his father who is currently enroute to tow him in.
Phil Sharp continues to fly the British flag having retained sixth position since the Saturday, while Nick Bubb on Whittlebury Hall, in the middle of the pack, consistently holds 25th position.
Sue Pelling/Yachting World, 19 September 2005
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