Yves Le Blevec has, overnight, taken the lead of the Charente-Maritime/Bahia from Corentin Douguet on E.LeClerc/Bouygues Telecom.
Le Blevec sailing Point Mariage, a Finot-Conq Proto, closed the gap on Douguet late yesterday afternoon and, holding a course further offshore, slipped through Douguet during the night en-course for the Cape Verde Islands.
In third place, 30 miles astern is Stanislas Maslard on Crédit Agricole Skipper Challenge.
But the most significant gain over the last three days has been made by the young French sailor Adrien Hardy see previous news story here. Hardy, on Brossardhas worked his way up through the fleet from late 30s and is now in fourth place, just 48 miles off the leader.
Not such good news though for Louis Duc on the Rolland Pogo Series design - Groupe Royer - who dismasted on Wednesday night. According to the official (French only) race website the mast broke in three places and Duc is currently sailing under jury rig to Dakar.
British sailor Phil Sharp on Le Gallaisis continuing to make steady progress up the fleet after his disastrous first day see previous news story here. and is now up to 22nd in the middle of the pack. Fellow British sailor Nick Bubb is also starting to making some progress but in 55th place he's found himself battling it out with the slower Series (one-design) class.
British/Swiss sailor Tobias Hochreutener on Complete Freight has reported a problem with a stay so will be one of the many competitors making a pitstop on the island of St Vincent in the Verdes to carry out repairs.
Other damage in the fleet includes a broken transom on Cyril Ducrot's boat Région Nord Pas de Calais. Apparently the transom was ripped off by the rudders yesterday during a collision with a shark.
Kristian Kargk on Prima Nautica with be joining Hochreutener for a pitstop to repair a broken stay, and Mikaël Mergui on Marcel Forever has canting keel problems and flooded a battery. Bowsprit and spreader breakages need sorting aboard Xavier Bluy's yacht Smets and Juan Carlos Maris Sanchi on Spasmos needs to fix his autopilot.
Yann Delplace - Ville de Nice Conseil Général des Alpes Maritime - lost medium spinnaker
Nicolas Bunoust - Groupe SCE- damaged bowsprit
Eric Bourrié - Association Laurette Fugain - burnt out battery charger
Sue Pelling/Yachting World, 14 October 2005
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Yves Le Blevec has, overnight, taken the lead of the Charente-Maritime/Bahia from Corentin Douguet on E.LeClerc/Bouygues Telecom.
