Lining up for the Doldrums

The latest from the Transat Jacques Vabre

Positions at 0900GMT

Pos	Boat	DTF	DTL	vmg	Lat	Long	spd	crs	spd	crs	spd	crs	spd	dist
							Inst		1hr av		4hr av		Over 24hrs
	Open 60s
1	VIRBAC	1398.1	0.0	9.8	6 54.84' N	26 45.76' W	9.2	197	10.0	195	8.3	191	9.8	235.2
2	SILL	1541.8	143.7	11.2	9 18.44' N	26 11.16' W	14.0	191	12.1	185	12.4	185	10.0	239.9
3	ECOVER	1573.8	175.7	10.7	9 54.56' N	26 12.64' W	12.2	191	11.8	177	12.1	182	10.7	256.0
4	PRB	1636.2	238.1	11.3	11 05.36' N	26 17.76' W	13.0	188	12.5	177	12.0	178	12.1	290.3
5	VMI	1676.7	278.6	13.7	11 44.96' N	26 07.08' W	14.9	188	14.4	187	13.0	182	12.0	288.4
6	TEAM COWES	1680.6	282.6	13.5	12 26.44' N	27 45.52' W	13.2	186	13.8	188	13.1	185	12.3	295.3
7	CARREFOUR PREVENTION	1791.3	393.2	7.2	13 28.76' N	25 16.64' W	8.0	187	7.9	177	9.5	164	10.6	254.5
8	ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE	1941.3	543.2	11.4	14 34.40' N	21 48.52' W	12.8	188	12.7	185	12.2	177	10.7	257.4
9	GARNIER	2078.2	680.1	11.1	18 48.36' N	25 49.52' W	12.4	182	11.1	193	10.3	193	11.4	272.9
10	LOIRE ATLANTIQUE	2186.7	788.6	14.0	19 17.60' N	21 58.92' W	13.6	191	14.5	190	13.7	193	14.3	343.8
11	60ème SUD	2375.8	977.7	10.1	23 31.44' N	24 10.64' W	10.0	221	10.1	197	10.1	195	9.6	229.4
12	ADECCO	2386.3	988.2	10.0	22 13.16' N	20 19.28' W	8.4	204	10.1	200	10.6	199	10.9	261.6
13	TIR GROUPE	2536.3	1138.2	9.0	23 38.28' N	17 26.44' W	9.2	200	9.3	195	10.4	193	9.5	227.9
	60ft tris
1	GROUPAMA	1268.7	0	10.4	4 26.32' N	26 45.64' W	11.2	202	10.4	210	7.9	205	12.9	310.7
2	SERGIO TACCHINI	1394.5	125.8	12	6 10.48' N	25 11.28' W	10.3	171	13	191	13.5	187	13.4	320.4
3	BELGACOM	1395.9	127.3	9	6 15.00' N	25 32.00' W	7.3	141	10	186	12	186	14.5	347.1
4	GEANT	1410.5	141.8	9.3	5 53.20' N	24 38.28' W	7.2	181	9.4	205	7.9	206	10.4	248.8
5	BISCUITS LA TRINITAINE	1462.4	193.7	13.4	7 37.44' N	25 48.72' W	4.4	220	13.6	200	15.5	187	15.5	371.9
6	SODEBO	1516.2	247.5	17.1	8 35.68' N	25 23.80' W	18.2	181	18.9	184	19.1	182	17.2	413.5
7	SOPRA GROUP	1555.2	286.5	19.3	9 47.04' N	26 39.84' W	19.4	173	20.7	184	19	181	16.7	401.9
8	GITANA	1590	321.3	15.2	10 38.00' N	26 29.00' W	21	185	15.9	187	13.8	213	16.5	397.1
9	BANQUE POPULAIRE	1595.2	326.5	13.8	8 45.28' N	23 21.28' W	14	183	15.9	184	15.9	212	17.2	412
10	BONDUELLE	1677.7	409	19.4	11 27.44' N	25 23.64' W	16.3	190	20.9	184	20.8	183	17.3	414.1
11	FONCIA	1767.7	499	15.1	13 14.12' N	25 43.64' W	16.3	158	17.8	171	18.6	172	17.4	416.5
12	BAYER CROPSCIENCE	2020.1	751.4	21.9	17 55.60' N	26 16.28' W	25.1	203	22.2	189	21.7	188	20.4	490.3
13	BANQUE COVEFI	2050.2	781.5	18	17 25.76' N	23 29.00' W	18.3	159	20.7	174	20.5	178	21.7	521.7
	50ft multi
1	MOLLYMAWK	2830.3	0	10.7	27 28.76' N	13 57.88' W	9	202	11	198	10.7	199	11	265.2
ABD	ATLANTIC NATURE
	Open 50s
1	HELLOMOTO	2234.6	0	12.2	20 28.76' N	22 44.60' W	14	190	12.8	187	11.9	189	12.2	293
2	STORAGETEK	2435.5	200.9	10.6	23 48.08' N	21 56.40' W	8.1	216	10.6	203	10.5	201	9.5	227
3	DEFI VENDEEN	2508.5	273.8	11.4	24 32.36' N	20 27.08' W	12.4	196	11.6	194	10.6	196	10.6	255.4

Above - leading Open 60 positions this morning at 0900 and yesterday at the same time.

After making a reason gain on Virbac's lead yesterday so Sill has once again lost out to Jean-Pierre Dick and Nicolas Abiven's team over the last 24 hours. But this is small fry compared to the massive gains Franck Cammas and Franck Proffit on Groupama have apparently made on the chasing pack in the last 24 hours. The green trimaran, the winner in this race two years ago is now 125 miles ahead of second placed Sergio Tacchini, but this is more due to some tactical play by Michel Desjoyeaux and Herve Jan on Geant.

Having overtaken the leading monohulls over the course of yesterday the leading group of tris is now into the Doldrums area. In what may be a signficant move Geant appear to have sacrificed their place to take a more easterly route through the Doldrums, 40-60 miles from Sergio Tacchini and Belgacom. A gamble which could work for or against them, it could see Geant appear on the other side more to the east with a slightly faster angle once into the southeasterly trades on the other side of the Doldrums.

In the Open 60 fleet Mike Golding and Brian Thompson on third placed Ecover have succeeded in making some in roads on the two leaders and are 32 miles behind Sill, compared to almost 50 yesterday. But astern of them PRB are also closing fast - yesterday they were astern of Ecover by almost 100 miles - today she is 56 miles behind. Behind them Sebastien Josse and Isabelle Autissier on VMI continue to be locked in battle with Nick Moloney and Sam Davies on Team Cowes out to the west, the latter now just four miles astern having recorded the best 24 hour run of the front runners.