Salvador (Brazil) (AFP)

The lead duo in the Imoca class of the Transat Jacques Vabre formed by Charlie Dalin and Yann Eliès (Apivia) were heading for the Brazilian port of Salvador de Bahia on Saturday, where he is expected early Sunday morning.

With the score of 10:00 GMT (11:00 French), in this category of boats of 18 meters under the spotlight at one year of the legendary race alone and without assistance of the Vendée Globe, the tandem Dalin / Eliès file at more than 20 knots while he only has 248.3 nautical miles to go to cut the finish line, presumably Sunday around 03H00 French time.

Behind, the fight is fierce between the boats with foils and those drifting, and it is impossible to say at the moment what will be the duos who will climb on the podium as the ranking varies from hour to hour.

With the score of 10:00 GMT (11:00 French), it is the boat PRB of Kevin Escoffier and Nicolas Lunven which arrives in second position, to 231,6 nautical miles of the leaders of this double race which is held every two years.

The unfortunate duo aboard the black foil Charal formed by Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt finally returned to speed and climbed from 6th to 3rd place in 24 hours, 265 nautical miles from the leading tandem.

The two sailors remained entangled in the terrible Doldrums, the capricious zone of winds so dreaded sailors, where they lost more than 350 nautical miles compared to the first.

The Clarisse Crémer / Armel le Cleac'h duo (Banque Populaire) struggled to keep pace with the approach of the Brazilian coast, falling in 24 hours from second to fifth place, now 285.2 nautical miles behind the former.

The Class40, among the three classes of boats engaged in the race with Imoca and Multi50, is still led by Ian Lipinski and Adrien Hardy (Crédit Mutuel). The duo is at 1,137.9 nm from the finish line.

The 14th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, part of the October 27th of Le Havre, was won Friday at 05H49 French time by Gilles Lamiré and Antoine Carpentier, aboard the Multi50 Groupe GCA - A thousand and one smiles, after an 11-day crossing, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 41 seconds.

In this category of boats, only three duets were engaged. The second also arrived on Friday. This is the tandem Thibaut Vauchel Camus / Fred Duthil (Solidaires En Peloton - ARSEP) arrived at 15:53 ​​French time.

Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben (Primonial) are only 25 nautical miles from the finish.

Ranking Saturday at 10:00 GMT (11:00 French):

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

1. Gilles Lamiré / Antoine Carpentier (Group GCA - A thousand and one smiles), arrived Friday at 05H49 French time (01H49 local time).

2. Thibaut Vauchel-Camus / Frédéric Duthil (ARSEP Solidarity En Peloton) arrived Friday at 15H53 French time (11H53 local time)

3. Sébastien Rogues / Matthieu Souben (Primal) 25 nm from the finish

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

1. Charlie Dalin / Yann Eliès (Apivia) at 248.3 nm from the finish

2. Kevin Escoffier / Nicolas Lunven (PRB) at 231.6 nm from the leaders

3. Jérémie Beyou / Christopher Pratt (Charal) at 265 nm.

4. Charlie Enright / Pascal Bidegorry (11th Hour Racing) at 283.7 nm

5. Clarisse Crémer / Armel le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) at 285.2 nm

6. Thomas Ruyant / Antoine Koch (Advens for Cybersecurity) at 294.4 nm

7. Sam Davies / Paul Meilhat (Initiatives-Heart) at 347.3 nm

8. Sébastien Simon / Vincent Riou (Arkea-Paprec) at 371.2 nm

9. Fabrice Amedeo / Eric Péron (Newrest-Arts & Windows) at 415.9 nm

10. Louis Burton / Davy Beaudart (Valley Office 2) at 444.5 nm

...

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

1. Ian Lipinski / Adrien Hardy (Credit Mutuel) at 1,137.9 nm from the finish

2. Sam Goodchild / Fabien Delahaye (Leyton) at 51.3 nm from the first

3. Aymeric Chappellier / Pierre Leboucher (Aina Childhood and Future) at 80.5 nm

© 2019 AFP