Yves Blevec on Point Marriage and Corentin Douguet E Leclerc-Bouygues Telecom out to the west, have increased their lead on the second leg of the Mini Transat. Douguet is now 31 miles ahead with Alex Pella on Open Sea/Team Work now in third.
By keeping in maximum pressure overnight, and by staying on a similar line to Blevec, Isabelle Joschke on a 1999 Cape design (Degremont) has taken five places. She's now up to fourth place but needs to keep a close eye on Adrien Hardy on Brossard who's now less than a mile ahead but further out east.
Brossard, the young 470 sailor who finished fifth in the previous leg, has made a remarkable comeback. Just one week ago he was down in the 30s but he's utilized his smart dinghy racing skills and is now at the top once again just 60 miles behind Blevec.
David Lancry on his 2005 Dejeanty-designed Areas Assuranceswas looking incredibly positive yesterday out to the east in third position but currently with less wind on that side of the course is now struggling in eighth.
British sailor Phil Sharp, who had a poor start to the race by heading out on a flyer west, is sailing consistently fast and has taken another three places overnight leaving him in 13th. Fellow British sailor Nick Bubb is still struggling to escape from the middle of the pack in 31st.
Having lost his week-long lead in the Series fleet yesterday Peter Laureyssens on Wellments is back in control again this morning leaving Ronan Deshayes in the Super Calin-designed PCO Technologies nearly 15 miles astern.
With no weather information aboard, making the right call on exactly where to position themselves over the next few days for the Doldrum entry will be a bit of a lottery and could see positions throughout the fleet change dramatically.
Top 10 positions
1 151 Le Blevec Yves POINT MARIAGE 1479.80 miles to finish
2 433 Douguet Corentin E. LECLERC / BOUYGUES TELECOM 1510.50 miles to finish
3 429 Pella Alex OPEN SEA / TEAM WORK. 1517.10 miles to finish
4 276 Joschke Isabelle DEGREMONT 1539.50 miles to finish
5 198 Hardy Adrien BROSSARD 1540.00 miles to finish
6 417 Maslard Stanislas CREDIT AGRICOLE SKIPPER CHALLENGE 1551.90 miles to finish
7 321 Gindre Pierre LINKERS-LUISINA 1554.90 miles to finish
8 454 Lancry David AREAS ASSURANCES 1555.60 miles to finish
9 491 Mergui Mikaël MARCEL FOREVER 1561.90 miles to finish
10 427 Gladu Sébastien ARMOR LUX 1568.60 miles to finish
Sue Pelling/Yachting World, 18 October 2005
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