It has been a tough week for Southampton yachtswoman Sam Davies on her Figaro boat, Skandia.

Despite being in the top ten and up there with the best 'Figarists' on the water, in the first hour of Monday's race from Marseille to Port Camargue, Davies made a critical error.

It put her at the back of the fleet by the finish of the 110-mile solo race. "I didn't realise about the gulf stream coming out of the Rhone," she rued. "Most of the fleet sailed to the currents and I sailed to the wind and lost out big time."

Tuesday saw an improvement in the two eight-mile inshore windward/leeward races off Port Camargue.

Skandia moved up one place on La Generali Mditerrane leaderboard to 26th overall having scored a 23rd and 24th place.

The 32-boat fleet are currently on their 190-mile offshore leg from Port Camargue to Beaulieu on the southern French coast.