SINGLE-HANDED ocean racer Phil Sharp is moving through the Mini Transat fleet.

He finished the first leg from La Rochelle a jubilant fourth.

Yesterday he was 22nd out of the 72 boats heading for Brazil on the 3,000 mile second leg of the transatlantic odyssey with the fleet around 200 miles away from the Cape Verde Islands waypoint – 116 miles behind the leader and first leg winner Yves Le Blevec.

After leaving Lanzarote in the Canary Islands on Saturday, bound for Salvador, Sharp and two others boldly headed west and passed the islands of Tenerife and Gomera to the north before heading south.

Their initiative was based on their interpretation of the weather forecast.

They had been advised of probable favourable westerly wind to speed them south.

In the event, the wind shift was limited and with the longer course sailed, they failed to gain the hoped-for advantage But once the trio linked up with the rest of the fleet Sharp, in his Le Gallais 419 boat, began storming up the rankings.

On Monday morning he was 39th but since then he has been working steadily through the fleet in the downwind conditions.

Said Sharp’s proud father John yesterday: ‘With well over 2,000 miles to Brazil there’s a lot that can happen both in terms of weather and endurance.

‘After passing through the Cape Verde Islands, Phil will be trying to pick up the south east trade winds which will take him down to the doldrums and the equator.

‘What lies ahead only time will tell but so far the race has been fast and challenging.’