The game at the top of the Mini Transat fleet continues with Sam Manuard (431 - Tip Top too - Le Grau du Roi - Port Camargue) ahead of Jonathan McKee (247 - Team Mc Lube) by just a tenth of a mile

The game at the top of the Mini Transat fleet continues with Sam Manuard (431 – Tip Top too – Le Grau du Roi – Port Camargue) ahead of Jonathan McKee (247 – Team Mc Lube) by just a tenth of a mile. The good news is that the fleet is now sailing in a consistent 20kt north-easterly breeze and reports from the leaders show they’re clocking an average speed of 8-9kts under spinnakers. And if the wind holds, they leaders could arrive in Lanzarote as early as tomorrow evening.

The two leaders have now departed from the rest of the fleet with Armel Tripon (151 – Moulin Roty), nearly 20 miles astern in third place. In fourth place is the Swedish girl Pia L’Obry (316 – Expatria.fr). At 34-years-old and competing in her first singlehanded Transat, she has sailed a superb race. Prior to the event, L’Obry participated in as many events as she could and finally found a sponsor a few days before the start which has allowed her to focus 100 per cent on the job in hand.

The production boats are also engaged in a tight battle with Erwan Tymen (426 – Pogo 2 Navy Lest) and David Sineau (428 – France Fermetures) still fighting it out for the lead with less than a mile between them – 50 NM behind the two leaders in prototypes.

Positions

1 431 Samuel Manuard TIP TOP TOO – LE GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUE proto

2 247 Jonathan Mc Kee TEAM MC LUBE proto

3 151 Armel Tripon MOULIN ROTY proto

4 316 Pia L’Obry EXPATRIA.FR proto

5 393 Cian Mc Carthy THE TOM CREAN proto

6 265 Frédéric Duthil ALL MER proto

7 312 Pascal Doin ASNQ proto

8 240 Alex Pella AQUATEC – SANTIVERI – TEXKNIT proto

9 139 François Cuinet REGLISSE proto

10 354 Bruno Garcia SALADINO proto

11 321 Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty ARTECH – CAEN LA MER proto

12 347 Pierre Rolland EXTRADO proto

13 353 Willy Garcia CEYLAN DIAMANTES proto

13 426 Erwan Tymen POGO 2 NAVY LEST serie

15 428 David Sineau FRANCE FERMETURES serie

16 227 Donald Wright RUSSE NOIR proto

17 440 David Raison RAYON LIQUIDE serie

18 303 Enrico Podesta DIABOLO-SLAM proto

19 135 Stéphane Ayrault WYETH proto

20 168 Fabrice Guillerm RAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIRE serie

21 250 Brieuc Maisoneuve PAYS GRANVILLAIS serie