Rennes (AFP)

The duo Charlie Dalin and Yann Eliès (Apivia) stole the show on Wednesday at Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt (Charal) in the Imoca category of the Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV), thanks to the Pot-au-noir, this area without the dreaded wind of the skippers.

The intertropical convergence zone has hurt the Charal crew, which has been in the lead since Saturday but was only 3 knots at 9am. After heading slightly further east, Apivia slipped to 10.4 knots.

"We were 100 miles ahead and we're going to lose them, we do not have air, we can not get out of it, we were on a good trajectory and we took a last grain this morning and after curtain ", explained Jérémie Beyou at dawn on Wednesday, according to the statement of the organization.

With a score of 09:00 GMT in this category of boats of 18 meters, stars of the Vendée Globe, the new leading duo is now 1,315.8 nautical miles from Salvador de Bahia, the Brazilian port of arrival.

In the back, Charlie Enright and Pascal Bidegorry (11th Hour Racing) keep the third position but the fight is tough with Kévin Escoffier and Nicolas Lunven (PRB) and with the duo Clarisse Crémer / Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire).

Nicolas Troussel and Jean Le Cam (Corum L'Epargne) also took sixth place to Samantha Davies and Paul Meilhat (Initiatives Hearts).

In 27th place, Ari Huusela and Michael Fergusson (Ariel 2) still cling with a very damaged mainsail from the Bay of Biscay.

In the three multihulls entered, the duo Gilles Lamiré and Antoine Carpentier (Group GCA - Mille et une smiles), is heading to Brazil at more than 20 knots, leading the Transat party on October 27th in Le Havre.

The gap widened this Wednesday with Solidaires En Peloton - ARSEP distant 184 miles exactly. "The victory therefore extends to Groupe GCA - A thousand and one smiles because the last section of the Coffee Route is a race of speed but no big strategy," say the organizers. At 437 nm behind, Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben (Primonial) managed to stay in front of the leading Imoca.

The Class40 is still led by the tandem Ian Lipinski and Adrien Hardy (Credit Mutuel) who broke the speed record on 24H00. "The boat, it goes alone, we found the right wing," said Ian Lipinski early this Wednesday.

Sam Goodchild and Fabien Delahaye (Leyton) still hold the second position and accelerate, followed by the third tandem, Aymeric Chappellier and Pierre Leboucher (Aïna Childhood and Future).

Standings Tuesday at 09:00 GMT:

. Multi50 (50ft / 15m multihull) - 3 engaged

1. Gilles Lamiré / Antoine Carpentier (GCA Group - A Thousand and One Smiles) 868.4 nm from the finish

2. Thibaut Vauchel-Camus / Frédéric Duthil (ARSEP Solidarity In Peloton) at 184.49 nm from the 1st

3. Sébastien Rogues / Matthieu Souben (Primonial) at 437.58 nm

. Imoca (60-foot / 18-m monohull) - 29 hired

1. Charlie Dalin / Yann Eliès (Apivia) at 1.315,8 nm from the finish

2. Jérémie Beyou / Christopher Pratt (Charal) at 35.92 nm from the 1st

3. Charlie Enright / Pascal Bidegorry (11th Hour Racing) at 86.06 nm

4. Kevin Escoffier / Nicolas Lunven (PRB) at 95.44 nm

5. Clarisse Crémer / Armel le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) at 100.17 nm

6. Nicolas Troussel / Jean Le Cam (Corum L'Epargne) at 113.32 nm

7. Sam Davies / Paul Meilhat (Heart Initiatives) at 113.95 nm

8. Damien Seguin / Yoann Richomme (Apicil Group) at 114.15 nm

9. Yannick Bestaven / Roland Jourdain (Master Rooster) at 128.35 nm

10. Sébastien Simon / Vincent Riou (Arkea-Paprec) at 130.54 nm

...

. Class40 (40ft / 12m monohull) - 27 engaged

1. Ian Lipinski / Adrien Hardy (Credit Mutuel) at 1888.5 nm from the finish

2. Sam Goodchild / Fabien Delahaye (Leyton) at 70.86 nm from the first

3. Aymeric Chappellier / Pierre Leboucher (Aina Childhood and Future) 84.08 nm from the first

© 2019 AFP