In the Transat Ecover B to B (Salvador da Bahia/Port-la-Forêt), today (Tuesday 11th December) with 800 miles to go to reach the finish, the dice seem to have been cast up at the front.
Currently sailing off Southern Portugal, Loick Peyron on Gitana Eighty, in the lead since coming out of the Doldrums, seems to have everything in place to grab victory, while Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) and Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), both around forty miles behind the leader, could still thwart the plans of the yachtsman from La Baule. We can add that Michel Desjoyeaux suffered damage today to the bowsprit on Foncia. It looks highly likely now that the podium will be shared out by these three, when they finish on Thursday or Friday in Brittany.
A long time up with the frontrunners, Marc Guillemot and Yann Elies, have slipped back to fifth and fourth place 120 and 130 miles behind Gitana Eighty. Completely logical, when we see that Safran has been suffering from damage to her keel actuator rod and is fighting hard to complete the race, while Generali no longer has the use of some of her foresails.
Bernard Stamm, on Cheminées Poujoulat, in in sixth place more than 250 miles from the leader, while Great American III bringing up the rear of the fleet of thirteen boats is more than 880 miles astern of Gitana Eighty. We should add that the competitors have not been spared in this single-handed qualifier for the Vendée Globe, and the most spectacular incidents concern the retiral of two candidates that were considered strong contenders: Mike Golding (Ecover) had to give up, suffering from power supply problems, while Armel Le Cléac’h’s boat (Brit’Air) dismasted.
A long time up with the frontrunners, Marc Guillemot and Yann Elies, have slipped back to fifth and fourth place 120 and 130 miles behind Gitana Eighty. Completely logical, when we see that Safran has been suffering from damage to her keel actuator rod and is fighting hard to complete the race, while Generali no longer has the use of some of her foresails.
Bernard Stamm, on Cheminées Poujoulat, in in sixth place more than 250 miles from the leader, while Great American III bringing up the rear of the fleet of thirteen boats is more than 880 miles astern of Gitana Eighty. We should add that the competitors have not been spared in this single-handed qualifier for the Vendée Globe, and the most spectacular incidents concern the retiral of two candidates that were considered strong contenders: Mike Golding (Ecover) had to give up, suffering from power supply problems, while Armel Le Cléac’h’s boat (Brit’Air) dismasted.
