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Groupama 2 completed the course at an average speed of 20.5 knots after the organizers took the decision to shorten the course this morning due to the deteriorating weather conditions.

Lionel LEMONCHOIS (FRA), the winner of the 2006 Route du Rhum, skippered Gitana II to second place, just 1 hour and 44 minutes behind the winners.

After a very close start, the two other competitors abandoned the race on the approach to the Fastnet Rock. Both Pascal BIDEGORRY's (FRA) Banque Populaire IV and Antoine KOCH's (FRA) Sopra Group pulled out of the running after sustaining minor problems, with neither team wishing to risk missing the start of the upcoming Trophee des Multicoques in Lorient.

Winning skipper CAMMAS commented, 'The race was hard but fortunately short… We had between 20 and 25 knots. At its maximum, the wind was in the region of 30 knots, and at least 15 knots along the coast of Galicia. But more than the wind, it was the sea which was hard.'

Onboard Groupama 2 along with CAMMAS were Steve RAVUSSIN (SUI), Bruno LAURENT (FRA), Bruno JEANJEAN (FRA), Romain ATTANASIO (FRA) and Damian FOXALL (IRL).