Pascal Bidégorry wins the IB Group Challenge
IB Group Challenge from Lorient to Nice has been won by Banque Populaire when she arrived in Nice this morning at 7h 36' 17''. Race distance was covered in 8 days 16 hours 36 minutes and 17 seconds at an average speed of 12.05 knots. When Banque Populaire crossed the finishing line, Gitana 11 was some 75 miles from the finish.
It has been a long night for Frédéric Le Peutrec and his crew, plagued by lengthy windless zones. Nothing to be done except watch the leader pull away into the distance in a light SE breeze. Meanwhile further down the fleet, the chasers started to close in, they too having latched onto a breath of wind !
Summary - 50 miles lost on the leader position in just a matter of hours. Géant and Gitana X made an incredible comeback to within just a few miles of Gitana 11…
A light southerly breeze is forecast Tuesday morning and the finish for second place is likely to be slowed until this afternoon.