Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois lead the fleet

© Romain Marie

The 11 mixed duos competing in the Transat Paprec are well into their descent across the Bay of Biscay after a relatively easy first night at sea since leaving Concarneau yesterday lunchtime. With no strategic options so far, the leaders, predictably, are tightly bunched. Early leaders are Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois (Mutuelle Bleue), who were making a steady 6.2 knots with a margin of 0.7 miles ahead of Loïs Berrehar and Charlotte Yven (Skipper MACIF). Edenred (Basile Bourgnon / Violette Dorange) is third.

“Until the very beginning of the night the whole fleet was grouped together and could see each other. It was very tight with barely a few miles of lateral separation. Last night was all about speed . Only Camille Bertel and Pierre Leboucher (Cap Ingelec) have stayed lower and are to lee of the fleet.. Most are gradually falling into calmer winds and so speeds which have gradually decreased since the night as the come under the effect of the ridge. But this was forecast so there are no surprises there,” said Francis Le Goff, race director of the Transat Paprec.

"Uncertainties off the Iberian Peninsula"

The wind will continue to drop this morning and the fleet will find itself in very light winds.

“As the ridge moves from west to east they need to get west of the ridge. There are a lot of uncertainties off the Iberian Peninsula with some routings that take them really offshore to find a depression but which force you to pass close to the La Palma waypoint and that will close the game for those chasing . And other routes still work down the coasts of Portugal”, says Yann Chateau, assistant race director.

He expects the peloton to find some wind and speed up in the late afternoon and evening. But the first strategic choices are maybe already taking shape, some boats may stay out to the west whilst others dive south.