With 522 miles remaining to the finish line off Progreso, race leaders Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy on Initiatives-Novedia have won back the miles lost to Telcom Italia and Cheminées Poujoulat on Monday and Tuesday. In the 0800 GMT position poll, Lamotte and Hardy have returned to a 111 mile lead over the chasing pair of boats. "We had 14.6 knots average speed in four hours under medium spinnaker last night," reported Lamotte earlier. "It was a huge, black night, big waves with a minimum of 25 knots of breeze." Currently, sailing between Cuba and the Cayman Islands with around 11.5 knots of south-easterly breeze, Initiatives-Novedia are now averaging a little under seven knots. Just west of Cape Cruz, the southern tip of Cuba, Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d’Ali in 2nd place on Telecom Italia hold seven mile lead over Bruno Jourdren and Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat in 3rd and while all three leading boats have slowed, the two trailing Class40s are making higher averages than Initiatives-Novedia at eight knots. Weather models suggest that Telecom Italia and Cheminées Poujoulat may keep the breeze longest as the wind shifts southerly, but a barrier of light airs is blocking the leaders as they continue south of Cuba and Lamotte and Hardy may run into this area later today. As the group clear the western end of Cuba and enter the Yucatan Channel for the final sprint to the finish line, north-westerly headwinds are forecast for the closing stage of the race and the Solidaire du Chocolat podium is far from decided.

In 4th and 5th place, Damien Seguin and Armel Tripon on Cargill-MTTM and Tim Wright and Nicko Brennan on Sail4Cancer are separated by 162 miles as the two Class40s sail through the Jamaica Channel between Jamaica and Haiti while just over 200 miles further east off Cape Beata in the Dominican Republic, Felipe Cubillos and Daniel Bravo Silva on Desafio Cabo de Hornos moved into 6th place last night, pulling a 28 mile lead over Peter Harding and Miranda Merron on 40 Degrees and although both boats are currently averaging ten knots, the wind is forecast to shift south-easterly and drop in strength. Trailing the Chilean and British boats by 154 miles, Jacques Fournier and Jean-Edouard Criquioche in 8th on Groupe Picoty have dropped speed to just five knots, but morale is still high on board the French Class40. “The competition is hot up ahead,” admits Criquioche this morning. “We have the Chilean team who raced round the world in a Class40, finishing second, and then we have Miranda, who is completely charming on land, but when at sea and racing, transforms into an enraged Doberman Pinscher when it comes to competition!” Despite the distance deficit, Fournier and Criquioche are confident about the remaining 1,200 miles to the finish line. “At the moment, we’re after the Doberman’s bone!” adds the French co-skipper.

With Axa Atout Coeur Pour Aides of Erik Nigon and Marc Jouany passing through the St. Barts gate at 2054 GMT on Tuesday night in 9th place, six Class40s remain in the North Atlantic and after 24 days at sea, conditions continue to be tough. For Patrice Carpentier and Victor Maldonado in 13th place on Crédit Maritime – the most northerly in the pack of boats approaching St. Barts – the North Atlantic refuses to let go. “Tuesday was marked by a phenomenal storm lasting nearly two hours and delivered a mini-apocalypse,” reported Carpentier late last night. “You could have thought you were caught in the middle of a naval battle with flashes and relentless detonations, all very close to us,” continues the 58 year-old French skipper. “All of this accompanied by a deluge of rain from a sky straight out of the Book of Revelations. The wind then went from south-west to south leaving a chaotic sea as it met with the major swell from the north which has been following us for three days.” However, currently averaging the best speed in the pack at 9.8 knots, the duo is back on form.

Trailing the fleet by 191 miles, all is not well on Vale Inco Nouvelle Calédonie for Yves Eclaret and Lionel Regnier. “We are very sad to announce the tragic death of our mainsail following a long illness,” reports Eclaret sombrely this morning. “After a long and productive life in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean and following specialist treatment in a Spanish clinic well known for its high level of care, the mainsail finally expired on Tuesday night after an apocalyptic storm similar to the hell lived through by Hollywood fisherman, George Clooney.” Furthest north in the entire fleet, the French duo bore the brunt of the weather that struck Crédit Maritime. “The storm came with the complete package: wind and rain a-go-go with lightning,” he continues. “I swear that when helming, you had to shut your eyes at times, as the combined wattage of Michael Jackson and the Stones in a concert at the Stade de France had nothing on this light show. The whole thing was too much for our late mainsail and panels and seams parted during the gale.” With 1,860 miles of the race remaining, the options for Eclaret and Regnier are clear. “Now, it is most important just to reach Mexico without endangering the crew or the boat,” adds the French skipper.

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 November 2009 )