Further update 10.15 pm May 8th
10.15 this evening David Kenefick has finished the Solo Concarneau in fifteenth position overall and second Rookie. He has ascended another step on the Rookie ladder and we are all delighted for him.
Update May 8th, 2013
The night has passed and the fleet has now rounded Ile d’Yeu at the Southern most end of the course and are on the long leg North. The rain has stopped and the fleet is sailing in 20 knots from the South West. The fleet will be under big spinnakers roaring along. We can see the speeds on AIS are hovering around the 9-10 knots. The accuracy of the ranking taken this morning as the fleet rounded the island is not as reliable as the one at Birvideaux last night but still nevertheless a good indicator. The general order has been respected although there are a few climbers and droppers. After the second night at sea fatigue is certainly taking its toll. Some of the skippers have dropped down the ranking a bit and the sign of strength is to be able to make places and pick people off towards the end of the race.
Overnight the number of boats and the time between David Kenefick and first Rookie Claire Pruvot has dropped and David is now just one place and seven minutes behind her. The published provisional rankings show him in 14th place which is probably accurate to within one place as the AIS on one of the boats we know to be ahead of him hasn’t shown up. But it is close and there are four other boats within five minutes of him just behind. With about 90 miles left to sail the wind is forecast to slowly head them all day and they may well finish this leg on the wind. ETA at the finish line is still late evening today.
Report May 7th, 2013
The Solo Concarneau is the all important final race in preparation for the Solitaire du Figaro and David reports on the race to date below. We are all eagerly watching his progress and willing him on to do well.
Report at 10.15pm Irish time May 7th, 2013
The first night and the second day of the race are now behind us and plenty has happened. The defining moment of the race so far was the beat from the Chausée de Sein on the western tip of the course to the Glenan Islands as the fleet moved down the course. The leading bunch chose to tack onto starboard early and were just about laying the pointe de Pen March but sailing into the Bay of Audierne. The sailors behind chose to stay further offshore and when the two groups came together 40 miles later the offshore pack were significantly ahead. David chose to be offshore and has managed to stay in the hunt rounding the half-way point, the Birvideaux lighthouse, in 17th place and third Rookie behind Claire Pruvot in 13th and Ed Hill in 14th. The fleet now head south to round Ile d’Yeu and then North again to the finish in Concarneau. They currently have 15 knot headwinds and heavy rain. They are expected to finish late on Wednesday night.
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