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2 April 2007, 10:08 am

Northerly Boats Lead The Way

Trophée BPE 2007

The Trophée BPE fleet are approaching the halfway point of their race from Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France to Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe, with the northerly boats of Armel TRIPON (FRA) and Eric DEFERT (FRA) currently leading the 25 Figaro's remaining in the race.

TRIPON on Gedimat was just over 2,000 nm from the finish and 20 nm ahead of DEFERT at the latest polling at 09:00 this morning. These two northerly boats are around 60 nm clear of the group in the centre, currently lead by Thierry DUPREY DU VORSENT (FRA) and Robert NAGY (FRA).

The majority of the fleet is more to the south, with Nicolas TROUSSEL (FRA), the most southerly of all as he chases the trade winds. This descent along the African continent, until the latitude of Senegal, lengthens the route but brings with it the promise of more wind than his competitors. 'I remake myself the course of the 2001 and 2003 editions of Trophy BPE,' joked TROUSSEL, in high spirits this morning after a night of rest. 'I will continue to go down like this, with the good angle, under spi, for 200 or 300 more miles before putting the course on Marie-Gallant.'

So the big question on the lips of all the fleet is: what will pay off - north or south?

ISAF (source: Trophée BPE). Image, Armel TRIPON leads to the north of the fleet:© M Mochet/AFP