TechnoMarine Takes Lead/Sergio Tachini Foncia and Sodebo Out

TechnoMarine on a calm day with flat water.

Swiss Stève Ravussin (TechnoMarine) has made incredible gains in the last 24 hours. He is pushing his machine to the limit, travelling at approximately 20 knots nd during the night has extended his lead on Biscuits La Trinitaine - Ethypharm to more than 80 miles and passed the leading IMOCA monohulls.

Today at 0815 GMT Karine Fauconnier onboard Sergio Tachini contacted her shore crew to announce that her starboard float had ruptured leading to an immediate dismasting.  Karine is fine, she had a clear voice.  A rescue operation of both the skipper and her boat has been launched from Lisbon. 

Biscuits La Trinitaine - Ethypharm is heading to Punta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel (Azores) for a short pit-stop during the day to change his solent and staysail, and will fall even further behind.

Alain Gautier on Foncia is heading to Madeira after experiencing similar problems to those of race leader until Wednesday, Sodebo, which decided to return to port with structural problems.

"These incredibly violent waves have damaged the under part of the exterior coating of the forebeam of the boat," said skipper Thomas Coville. " I am forced to bear away to relieve the boat.  The starboard forebeam has been considerably weakened by a hole of about 50 centimetres on the side where the exterior coating is delaminated.  The port beam is distinctly less affected.  The impact of the waves has also pulled off the starboard aft trampoline". 

As a result of a massive wave hitting Fonica from behind, the boat sustained structural damages to the exterior carbon coating. This morning, Gautier confirmed that he has joined the ever-growing group who has abandoned this race.

Kingfisher and Ecover are engaged in fierce competition, neither giving the other any opportunity to slip away. Since Wednesday, Kingfisher has had a slight advantage over her British rival, leading by 10 miles at the 0700GMT report this morning. The two have moved further ahead of the other boats in their class.

Australian Nick Moloney in class 2 has positioned Ashfield Healthcare more than 60 miles ahead of number two in the class, and is not far from Miranda Merron, 5th in the IMOCA class. Similar situations have occurred in the monohull class 3 and multihull class 2, StorageTek and Crêpes Whaou have been leading their classes almost since the start. Both are more than 200 and 150 miles ahead of the second place boat in their class.

Roland Jordain on Sill was due to arrive in Madeira this morning. Géant (Michel Desjoyeaux) is carrying out a pit-stop at Madeira (arriving this afternoon). Belgacom, Bayer CropSciences and Bonduelle left early this morning. The leading pack is heading south-west of the Azores. The wind is still strong - north-westerly 35-40 knots, decreasing to 30 knots for the leading boats and veering north.

Leading boats 07.00 GMT: ORMA 60' multihulls: Stève Ravussin TechnoMarine IMOCA 60' monohulls: Ellen MacArthur Kingfisher Class 2 50' monohulls: Nick Moloney Ashfield Healthcare Class 3 40' monohulls: Régis Guillemot Storagetek Class 2 50' multihulls: Frank Yves Escoffier Crepes Whaou! 20 boats have abandoned

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