IMOCA - Rankings at 08:00 20/11/1009
1 SAFRAN - Marc Guillemot & Charles Caudrelier Benac 0.0 nm
2 GROUPE BEL - Kito De Pavant & François Gabart +51.0 nm
3 MIKE GOLDING YACHT RACING - Mike Golding & Javier Sanso +194.2 nm
4 FONCIA - Michel Desjoyeaux & Jérémie Beyou +468.4 nm
5 1876 - Yves Parlier & Pachi Rivero +523.5
6 VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland Jourdain & Jean Luc Nélias +737.1
7 AVIVA - Dee Caffari & Brian Thompson +743.8 nm
8 W HOTELS - Alex Pella & Pepe Ribes +761.8 nm
9 AKENA VERANDAS - Arnaud Boissières & Vincent Riou +849.3 nm
10 ARTEMIS - Samantha Davies & Sidney Gavignet +967.6 nm
20/11/2009 Press Release from Jacques Vabre website:
"The leaders will transit into the Caribbean today but the weather mood is far from idyllic. It's a tricky rhythm on board but the 15 knot easterly trade winds look quite well established once the West Indies islands chain is passed.
The rewards for breaking from the Atlantic in to the Caribbean may be promising, but meantime the transition for the Transat Jacques Vabre leaders has been energy sapping and, at times, difficult.
As they approach the passage between Guadeloupe and Martinique to break into the Caribbean where the return of a more regular E’ly trade wind is likely, the two leaders have been experiencing difficult, unpredictable squalls and long lulls, dark clouds with heavy rain showers and very unsettled winds. Charles Caudrelier, co-skipper on leading IMOCA Open 60 Safran, remarked early this morning how the worst squalls always seemed to arrive when he was finally ready to sleep. Having then gone on deck to make adjustments it can be several hours until the conditions remain settled enough to return below. A squall-lull one-two punished Safran with a 15 miles body blow, allowing Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart to reduce their deficit to a very tenable 54.4 miles this morning.
In third place, making better speeds again early this morning after another electrical outage, Mike Golding and Javier Sanso on Mike Golding Yacht Racing acceded some more miles due to their problem. Sanso explained that the issue slowed them again for several hours, but they are back on track now, pursuing the French leader at 14.5 knots this morning.
1876 have strengthened their position overnight, reaching fast from their northerly position as the quickest boat in the fleet. Yves Parlier and Pachi Rivero have now opened a lead of the best part of 180 miles over sixth placed Veolia Environnement.
Roland Jourdain and Jean-Luc Nelias on Veolia Environnement are having a slow motion race with Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson’s Aviva as they try to extract themselves from a light winds ridge, with their French rivals just having the upper hand slightly further to the south and getting a little more favourable air this morning. But still this is the most engaging competition at the moment with only 23 miles – in DTF – separating the sixth placed French, seventh placed British and Spain’s W-Hotels in eighth. " Source Jacques Vabre. All Rights Reserved.
See exactly where the boats are now
