Before the final third of the 2nd leg of the 2021 mini-transat: Fink and Burke battle, Kargl continues to invest

It's down to business on the second leg of the Mini-Transat EuroChef: after last week's north-south poker, the field has reorganised itself. While front runner Pierre Le Roy on "Teamwork" has built up a veritable lead of more than 50 nautical miles over his compatriot Fabio Muzzolini on "Tartine sans Beurre" in the proto classification with around 740 nautical miles to the finish, things are much closer in the series boat classification. On Tuesday morning, Loïc Blin on "Technique Voile - Les Entrepreneurs du Golfe" was just three nautical miles ahead of the Italian Alberto Riva on "Ediliziacrobatica". The top 14 boats in the series are separated by a total of 50 nautical miles as they race towards the finish line off Guadeloupe at speeds of between seven and in some cases more than nine knots.

The fastest helmsman in the series boat fleet was Hugo Dhallenne a good week and a half after the start. The second-placed skipper after leg one and the time credits granted by the jury reached a speed of almost ten knots on Tuesday morning. Dhallene, like the Austrian Christian Kargl, who had fallen back to 29th place in the meantime after flying high in the meantime, continued on the southerly route and thus sailed far away from the direct course. In contrast, the two German skippers Melwin Fink ("SignForCom", 25th) and Lennart Burke ("Vorpommern", 23rd), a little more than 80 nautical miles behind the leader, sought their luck further north and thus closer to the direct course. Fink's bow pointed even further north on Tuesday morning, while Burke orientated himself south again. The positioning battles as they approach their destination remain exciting to watch. Although the "motorway" continues to exist with two or three knots of stronger winds in the south, the sailors seeking their chance there are also risking the further route. On the other hand, the northern course closer to the ideal line still harbours a certain "windiness". So who is right and will win the race?

Many gear changes in the positioning poker: "It's rattling in the field"

On Melwin Fink's Facebook page, there was this comment from his team on this and other questions on day 12 at sea under the heading "Changing gear", which we quote in extracts. This comment also ends with a question:"It's rattling in the field - whenever the race shifts into the next gear due to the weather. For some time now, Melwin Fink has been making solid use of the weather conditions and positioning himself well in the field. It's too early for arithmetical works of art - the current positioning of Melwin Fink and the other participants in the overall classification leaves a lot open. The field still has around 1,000 nautical miles to go before the finish. There are still many exciting moments with changes in the weather awaiting the skippers. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the ascent to the Passata motorway is not yet complete. Looking at the weather, Melwin Fink will be able to decide in the next few hours in which position he is likely to finish on the Passata motorway. Will he be able to defend his top position in the overall classification over the next 1,000 nautical miles or so to the finish?"

The fastest proto-sailors, including leader Pierre Le Roy, who recently travelled at an impressive 12.6 knots, are expected to arrive at the finish harbour of Saint-François at the weekend. The best series boat sailors are expected to reach the finish line in five or six days. The long-term wind forecast promises good and stable winds of up to 20 knots for the leading boats approaching the finish line at the weekend. Melwin Fink's parents have already arrived in Guadeloupe, along with many family members of the miniists and fans, who will give their son a warm welcome there, just as they did in the leg harbour of Santa Cruz de La Palma.