Light air to finish
The IB Group Challenge concluded this afternoon with a race starting off the Promenade des Anglais (Nice) over to a mark off the famous Croisette (Cannes) finishing off the Quai des Yachts (Monaco).

Banque Populaire came out tops once again on an inshore course of some forty miles which shortened in Monaco due to an evanescent breeze. The wind was never really that strong (4-8 knots). Most of the course was run wind abeam.  Thanks to an excellent start, Pascal Bidégorry rapidly moved into the lead and pulled away from Foncia and Gitana X off the Antibes mark but the gaps remained small. That was not the case in Cannes where Banque Populaire had increased her lead (1/2 mile) over Géant, Gitana 11, Foncia and Gitana X.  Several beats close-hauled were followed by a long run downwind with the gennaker hoisted in continually weakening wind. The hierarchy was established but Thierry Duprey du Vorsent made an excellent comeback in putting a little distance between him and the coast to finish close on Armel Le Cléac'h's transom.

Tomorrow the Gitana Team is to head for La Ciotat to set up camp in her Mediterranean base.

Rankings - epilogue :

1-Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire)
2-Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant)
3-Frédéric Le Peutrec (Gitana 11)
4-Armel Le Cléac'h (Foncia)
5-Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (Gitana X)

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