Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Bénéteau Figaro - Solo Maître Coq - Les Sables d'Olonne FRA - Heute Start
As expected, the finish in St-Barth was extremely close as the advance of the Transat AG2R winners Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA on Nicolas Lunven/Gildas Mahé FRA after a 22 day and 1 hour race was only 4 min 4 sec ! The backlog of the 3rd-ranked Adrien Hardy/Alexis Loison FRA was 29 minutes. 8 of the 13 two-person teams still in the race crossed meanwhile the finish line. The race viewer with rankings, the reports and the videos with interviews of the first-ranked.
The Transat AG2R will be decided today by noon and with 24 miles to sail, the situation is completely open as the wind has disappeared and the leading yachts are closely together. The now leading Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA are only 1,7 miles ahead of Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA and also Nicolas Lunven/Gildas Mahé FRA with a 4,9 miles' backlog have chances to finish first. 
The leading boats will cross the finish line off the French Caribbean island St-Barth this evening. The arrival sequence will be decided in the light and unstable wind on the last miles, and the first five boats will arrive closely packed within a few minutes. Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA could defend their lead up to now, but Nicolas Lunven/Gildas Mahé FRA are only 5 miles behind. The 
With 1000 miles to sail to the French Caribbean island St-Barth, the neck-and-neck race on top of the rankings goes on. Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA have reclaimed the first place, but Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA are only 3 miles behind. With a 7 miles backlog, Sébastien Simon/Xavier Macaire FRA remains in the battle for overall victory, as the unstable winds in the approach to the finish line will make tactics quite difficult. 
The leading quartet is separated by 12 miles only this morning after 16 days underway, and the the battle for victory will most probably be decided during the last miles in the unconstant winds around the Caribbean islands. Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA have replaced Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA on the first place again, but the two teams are separated by 3 miles only. 1'200 miles are left to St-Barth, i.e. roughly 6 days. 
An exciting neck-and-neck race has been going on during the past 48 hours between the northern and southern groups. During the past night, another leader change occurred and the teams in the North had the better end thanks to fresher but still moderate trade-winds with 16-18 kn. Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA are leading 0,5 miles ahead of Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA sailing in the South. 1'400 miles are left to the finish on the French Carribean island St-Barth. 
192 miles in 24 hours was the performance of the two leading teams yesterday, making good progress in the race to the Carribeans. Adrien Hardy/Alexis Loison FRA are leading with an 18 miles' advance on Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA. The fleet is now stretched over a considerable distance and the last-ranked Yannig and Erwan Livory FRA are already 807 miles behind. 
The fleet is progressing in the trade winds with an average speed of 10 kn direction Caribbeans and will be at mid-distance during the day. As foreseeable yesterday, the southern group, sailing roughly 1,5 kn faster, has taken the lead replacing Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA on a more northern course on top. New firsts are now Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA only 3 miles ahead of the previous leaders. Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA follow with a 21 miles' backlog on rank 3. 
Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA on a northern course defended their lead yesterday, but Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA and Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA sailing more south in a fresher breeze reduced their deficits on 14, respectively 19 miles. The drag race goes on today. 
The entire fleet is now sailing direction West in moderate trade winds between 10 and 15 kn, and the drag race continues in reaching conditions. Gildas Morvan/Alexis Loison FRA, the first team heading West, are on top of the leader board this morning. The first boats in the South of Chabagny/Tabarly FRA and Hardy/Biarnes FRA are 26 and 30 miles behind. 
The leading Group passed the Cape Verdes during the past night in solid 18 kn trade winds, and are now heading West direction Caribbeans. Chabagny/Tabarly FRA are still leading and Hardy/Biarnes FRA remain the closest challengers 5 miles behind. Morvan/Loison FRA on the 3rd place are 25 miles back. 
The speed race in the trade winds direction Cape Verdes continued yesterday, and the leading group in the South is now clearly ahead. Chabagny/Tabarly FRA are first 2 miles ahead of Hardy/Biarnes FRA. The 
The leading group stretched over a longer distance is sailing in freshening trade winds close to the African Coast. Tanguy Le Turquais/Hervé Aubry FRA, the only ones sailing on a more westerly course on the Canary Island latitude, are leading overall with a 9 miles' advantage on Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA.
After four race days, the leading boats of the Bénéteau fleet are speeding down South along the Morocco Coast still pushed by a rear wind around 35 kn in rough cross wave conditions. The new leaders are Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA, but Chabagny/Tabarly FRA are only 3 miles behind. The rookies in the fleet have their difficulties. The backmarkers Livory/Livory FRA are already 321 miles in arrear. 
The fleet proceeds rapidly down South under Spi in a fresh rear wind of up to 35 kn and the 10-meter-Bénéteau reach top speeds of up to 17 kn. The two-person teams are steering the boats alternating every hour to master the gliders in the pitch-black night. This morning, Nicolas Lunven/Gildas Mahé FRA in the extreme West of the fleet were still leading, 5 miles ahead of Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA. The fleet is now stretched over 140 miles. 
In steady light winds from astern, the 15 two-person teams passed Cape Finisterre during the past night, and the fleet is now stretched over a longer distance. New on top are Nicolas Lunven/Gildas Mahé FRA, 6,2 miles ahead of Adrien Hardy/Vincent Biarnes FRA. Charlie Dalin/Yoann Richomme FRA on 3rd are 10,6 miles behind. 
After an accommodating night with moderate rear winds around 14 kn, the 15 two-person teams are now approaching Cape Finisterre at the most North-West point of Spain this morning. The gaps between the boats are still small, and it is now the time for first strategic decisions. Light winds have been forecast for the coming 12 hours, and it is either an eastern cours along to coast, or a more western course in the open sea to avoid the prohibited zone reserved for the cargo traffic, a separation, that can have a major influence on the ranking positions. 
Moderate winds prevailed at the start of the Bénéteau Figaro Transat AG2R in Concarneau yesterday. 15 two-person teams left France for the 4'000 miles race across the Atlantic Ocean to French Caribbean Island St-Barth. Yesterday evening, the fleet was hit by a first West front with winds of 30-35 kn. Leaders this morning were Charlie Dalin/Yoann Richomme FRA closely followed by Thierry Chabagny/Erwan Tabarly FRA only 0,1 miles behind.
The start to the Transat AG2R over 3'800 miles from Concarneau FRA to the French Caribbean Island St. Barth will be given today. 
