Skipper Macif have their rivals lined up behind

Since yesterday Loïs Berrehar and Charlotte Yven have been leading the Transat Paprec fleet ahead of Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois (Mutuelle Bleue). Behind them the chasing mixed doubles duos have now lined up on roughly the same course. The top peloton of seven boats are all in the same weather regime, making the same speeds on the same course and almost by definition with the same sailplan. They should reach the waypoint at La Palma in the Canary Islands this weekend. 

Francis Le Goff, the Race Director explains, “All are steering full time and trimming intently. Behind the leaders they are lining up slowly" 

Behind Skipper Macif (1st, Loïs Berrehar and Charlotte Yven), Mutuelle Bleue (2nd, Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois) and Cap Ingélec (3rd, Camille Bertel and Pierre Leboucher) the top seven are still within ten miles of each other. 

 "The wind has eased, the speeds have dropped a little this morning but the sailors are maintaining a westerly wind flow", explains Francis Le Goff.  “Today they will see a steady flow between 10 and 12 knots just concentrating on straight line speed but tonight the wind will go NW which will allow them to get out the spinnakers and accelerate. Down to the waypoint at La Palma they will need to make some gybes and where and when could be key, but the forecasts don’t align so much and so mostly they are steering direct to the waypoint.”