Karine Fauconnier left three boats close behind her to fight it out for the remaining podium places. Groupama, Géant and Sodébo had to wait for the very last miles of the race to discover the finishing order across the line, 1 hour after Tacchini, each within a few minutes of one another, offering the many spectator craft and those ashore a wonderful spectacle indeed. The outcome of this sixth edition of the Québec Saint-Malo race remained uncertain through to the bitter end. Karine Fauconnier and her crew could do nothing but watch as their healthy lead dwindled into insignificance overnight, and particularly on Monday morning when the very last puff of wind disappeared altogether in the English Channel. On the approach in the Bay of Saint Brieuc, the trimarans even found themselves going backwards for a few minutes. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Just a few hundred metres separated Sergio Tacchini's followers from one another on a wrinkle-free sea !

Today the sky is perfectly clear and brilliant sunshine but the wind is conspicuous by its absence. Those who are expected to finish today will no doubt not make it across the line before the end of the afternoon.  Marc's crew is still fighting with two other trimarans for 7th place - Sopra Group and Banque Covefi and is expected in early evening.

Gitana 11 is due in to Port La Forêt around lunchtime today. The yard where the damaged trimaran is to undergo repairs after the collision with a floating object 4 days ago will be getting down to work straight away. A strict schedule of work has been drawn up to be sure that the trimaran will be ready for the Grand Prix de Fécamp, at the end of the month of August.

Gitana Team's shore team was split in two yesterday, each team ready to spring into action in two different places in Brittany some 217 miles apart.