© Photo : Pierrick Garenne \ n.c. Atlantic mess The Azores high is definitively not helpful : it is just above the fleet ! And the boats just go where they can. Some hardly head West, others slowly move East and others just cannot do anything. More than 800 miles away from Les Sables d’Olonne after three days of race, the ranking are not really significant. Well, the same pack is still leading, but now the danger come from everywhere and cards are going to change hands, and it is not over ! When some solo sailors are doing 6 knots on the rhumb line like David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins), others have to head North East to reach a five knots speed, such as Ronan Deshayes (PCO Technologies), others go North at four knots like Isabelle Magois (Voilerie Quantum), and some even go North West at two knots like Dominique Barthel (Yamm) ! In fact, the leaders are the only one who still can approximately sail on the rhumb line, they are some twelve prototypes and ten production boats still gaining some miles with some average speed between five and seven knots. For how long ? Tough to say because the high pressure is above the Atlantic from the Azores to Brittany, and its centre is even forecast to be on 42° North and 20° West at midnight, that is to say, just where the leaders will be this night ! It is not difficult : the fleet is completely spread : 200 miles in longitude and 150 miles in latitude… That means that some solo sailors, who are now very far from the lead, could come back from nowhere in a few days when the leaders will be stopped in no wind or almost. With the limited weather information they have aboard, solo sailors are going to be very nervous, looking for any breeze… But they have to keep on moving, and better do it in the right way (but which one is it ?) and be patient. Because the situation is not going to change as the high pressure is taking forces and moves with the fleet ! And they will have to wait for Wednesday, when, according to the weather forecast a light low pressure should come from the West… The exit door, should then be to reach as fast as possible the North, even if it means more miles, to get first the moderate South Westerly flood. At this speed, Minis, are certainly going to pack but they should not reach the Biscay Bay before Wednesday or Thursday ! But right now, those who have chosen the rhumb line are leading the race : Peter Laureyssens (Ecover), Andraz Mihelin (Adria Mobil Too), David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins) for the prototypes ; Thomas Bonnier (architecture élémentaire), Vincent Barnaud (STGS.fr), Bertrand Catelnérac (Alan France), Hervé Piveteau (Jules) and Thibault Reinhart (Les blouses roses-Colas) for the production boats. The week-end is going to be slow, with a lot of sun. Not that easy … DBo. & AM.  dimanche 20 août 2006 Brèves : Fabienne Robin est arrivée Vol 774 pour Les Sables Bruno Simonnet et Marc Vertes sont arrivés Benoît Lenglet est arrivé Les trois mousquetaires Vidéos : Clip vidéo Remise des prix 28 août aux Sables Arrivée de Véronique Loisel aux Sables Arrivée de Pascal Chombart de Lauwe Téléchargement : ... Embarquez ... :  Vous souhaitez embarquer sur un bateau accompagnateur... RSS feeds Réalisation : Adonnante.com | Design : fabienne.est.une.indienne | Hébergement : BleuRoy.com