After five races DERUELLE has defeated all of the other sailors in his group including ISAF World Match Race Rankings top 100 sailors, Philippe LEGROS and Alexis AVELINE. DERUELLE’s dominating performance so far will not be a sutrprise to his competitors as the last few months have seen the Frenchman rise rapidly through the ISAF World Match Race Rankings, from 61 in November 2004, to 40 in January this year to his highest ranking position of 27 in the most recent rankings of 23 March.

In the second group Erwan ISRAEL leads after taking four victories from five in the round robin competition. ISRAEL, ranked at 269, has so far managed victories over Michael COHEN, ranked 58, Vincent BIARNES, ranked 62 and Florent GAGGERO, ranked 85. So far only Pierre-Antoine MORVAN has been able to stop him. So far ISAF World Match Race Women's number two, Claire LEROY, has struggled with just a single victory from five races.

Racing at la Grande Motte continues until the 3 April

Results after 5 matches

Group 1
Dimitri DERUELLE, YCPR Marseille, 5 points
Morgan RIOU, USAM Brest, 4 points
Alexis AVELINE, CN St Cast, 3 points
Philippe LEGROS, SN St Quay Portrieux, 2 points
Pierre-Yves LAMBERT, COYC Hyères, 1 point
Alexandre PALLU, SR de La Rochelle, 0 point

Group 2
Erwan ISRAEL, COYC Hyères, 4 points
Michel COHEN, SRV Annecy, 3 points
Pierre-Antoine MORVAN, SR Vannes, 3 points
Florent GAGGERO, YCPR Marseille, 2 points
Vincent BIARNES, SR Perros Guirec, 2 point
Claire LEROY, SN St Quay Portrieux, 1 point