After two nights at sea the 70-boat Mini Transat fleet is making good headway to Lanzarote – the first port of call – in the continuing 20kts of breeze.

Those at the front of the fleet including Sam Manuard, Jonathan McKee, Pierre Rolland and Alex Pella are continuing their battles, with Manuard currently in the lead by six miles from McKee. In the last few hours Rolland has pulled though Pella in to third.

Ian Munslow, the British sailor, sailing a three year old Owen design, had a good start to the race and is currently lying in 20th overall. Team mate, 20-year-old James Bird, is in 61st place.

The tactics as they head south will be to find a quick route through to the north-east Trade Winds. The Trade Winds should start near the Portuguese coast so it’s likely that the fleet will head for the shore to pick up favorable conditions.

While the leaders were battling it out off the startline, a couple of competitors including Richard Mérigeaux and Gustavo Pacheco, both sailing Protos, had to return to La Rochelle to carry out repairs. Mérigeaux who worked throughout the night repairing the head of his mast eventually started again at 1400 yesterday afternoon, while Pacheco restarted at 1700.

The fleet is likely to arrive in Lanzarote between 15-17 September. Here competitors will enjoy a much-needed rest before they set off again on the final leg to Brazil on 27 September.

PosNoSkipperBoatTypeLatLongDist. to finish

1431Samuel ManuardTIP TOP TOO – GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUEprotoN441548W00532911082.8

2247Jonathan Mc KeeTEAM MC LUBEprotoN441253W00523901088.3

3347Pierre RollandEXTRADOprotoN435035W00515361090.7

4240Alex PellaAQUATEC – SANTIVERI – TEXKNITprotoN435568W00515301091.4

5265Frédéric DuthilALL MERprotoN442426W00519231094.5

5282Erwan AbalainMARION NOEL CONSEILSserieN434839W00509761094.5

7312Pascal DoinASNQprotoN435048W00509031095.2

8139François CuinetREGLISSEprotoN434805W00503511098.9

9304Frédéric DuvalSOJASUNprotoN440453W00506351099.1

10316Pia L’ObryEXPATRIA.FRprotoN434294W00502051099.6

11426Erwan TymenPOGO 2 NAVY LESTserieN440883W00503761101.7

12151Armel TriponMOULIN ROTYprotoN442406W00508361102.0

12440David RaisonRAYON LIQUIDEserieN435033W00459561102.0

14353Willy GarciaCEYLAN DIAMANTESprotoN435206W00459701102.1

15346Sébastien RoubinetADRENALINEprotoN434876W00458001103.0

16258Marc GasconsTIP-TOPprotoN440141W00459221103.6

16354Bruno GarciaSALADINOprotoN435239W00457651103.6

18393Cian Mc CarthyTHE TOM CREANprotoN434413W00455981104.1

19209Bertrand LecharpentierNEC HONFLEURserieN435148W00455481105.0

19342Alessandro ZamagnaARKEprotoN434535W00454761105.0

21326Ian MunslowISHTARprotoN434596W00453931105.7

22227Donald WrightRUSSE NOIRprotoN434316W00452631106.4

22295David SautretMIKALOU SAILINGserieN435046W00453481106.4

24381Gonzalo BotinDON VITOserieN440880W00456281106.9

25168Fabrice GuillermRAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIREserieN434543W00451951107.1

25250Brieuc MaisoneuvePAYS GRANVILLAISserieN434111W00451531107.1

27428David SineauFRANCE FERMETUREserieN434246W00450911107.6

28269Lionel Rubio de TeranGROUPE CIBFserieN442291W00459301107.9

29321Jean-Baptiste Pesquet DejeantyARTECH – CAEN LA MERprotoN434176W00450131108.1

29405Caroline VieilleFONDATION JEROME LEJEUNEprotoN434630W00450631108.1

31322Gilles GuillermBLUE BOSSAserieN435306W00450161109.0

32345Cécile PoujolINFORMATIQUE ET STATISTIQUESserieN435250W00449601109.4

33138Eric DefertAMIRAL DE BRETAGNEprotoN440855W00451911110.0

34421Michel MirabelGWALARN IVserieN434316W00447061110.4

35371Juan Carlos Sanchis MariSPASMOSserieN435330W00447851110.7

36328Tiphaine VrignaultMITSUBISHI POUR MECENAT CHIRURGIE CARDIAQUEserieN435228W00446811111.3

37335Barnabé ChivotFTH THIRARDprotoN435260W00445451112.3

38121David LancryMENSURA FROSTprotoN433496W00443511112.7

3936Peter de SmedtHUYSMANprotoN442786W00454051112.8

40416Daniel SchafferSENSILprotoN442378W00451661113.4

41388Yves NiortDEMI-CLE SHIPCHANDLERserieN440103W00445131113.6

42330Jean-Pierre BalmesCECIMserieN443741W00455301114.7

43135Stéphane AyraultWYETHprotoN442413W00449361115.1

44175Adam SeamansSPIRIT OF AMERICAserieN442523W00448251116.1

45167Manuel CastillaVISION ORIGINALEserieN442623W00447831116.7

46318Yann RiouTHRANE & THRANEserieN443950W00451731117.8

47404Francis HueberSHAITAN ENSIETA ECOLE D’INGENIEURS BRESTOISEserieN441703W00442481118.3

48333Arsène LedertheilAILES DU DESIRprotoN434861W00436501118.4

49245Patrick BotFINIST’MER ECOLE NAVALEserieN450438W00504501118.7

50444Isabelle MagoisEDEN PARKprotoN440261W00437931118.9

5189Rémy MalburetSOEUR MARIE THERESE DES BATIGNOLLESserieN442315W00442531119.6

52340Rémi BeauvaisSPI CALL CENTERserieN443875W00447861120.2

53352Luis IrisarriDEVIAJE.COMprotoN441476W00438761120.4

5429Arthur BarretUBAYEprotoN443386W00444931120.7

5547Bernard MorinJOGGING INTERNATIONALserieN441689W00436491122.4

56102Ghislain GendronVILLE DE BANDOLprotoN441976W00436161123.3

57109Gaspard FraneauZACKprotoN444131W00443701123.8

58373Christophe DaryYELLOW SUBMARINEserieN445290W00446751125.7

59277François-Jacques JauffrineauVENDEE PRISMAprotoN435288W00426751125.8

6034Gustavo PachecoEPSILONprotoN443845W00436611127.7

6156James BirdATOMICprotoN442741W00431181128.5

62329Laurent JauninTERRE-ET-FAUNE.ORGserieN442518W00430231128.6

63355Jacques ValenteACTION INNOCENCEserieN443310W00426061133.5

64262Eric SchmittLA LIMULEserieN451820W00440111140.2

65360Henri GourmelonTOBABOOTSserieN443791W00412761143.9

66385Jaime MumbruPORT DE BARCELONAprotoN443063W00401531149.8

67273Vincent Volk LeonovitchGOUDURIX 2serieN451313W00418031152.1

68260Richard MérigeauxBON PIED BON OEILprotoN450936W00318661189.8

69185Thomas ValentinTHOMAS HAWKprotoN454301W00239731227.3

NC303Enrico PodestaDIABOLO-SLAMproto–