Southampton student skipper Simon Shaw and his British Universities Sailing team are back in 11th place in the Tour de France a Voile following a week of mixed fortunes in the month-long race round the coast of France.

They finished off the pace in 19th place in the offshore race from Perros Guirec to Brest but recovered well to come second in the inshore race in Brest on Wednesday.

Following the 88-mile offshore leg, Shaw commented: "Most important, we didn't get sick! The start was a beauty. We got a great shift and gained lots of places, but then got greedy and squall blew us sideways and that's where we lost out. After that it was a game of follow the leader."

Part of a 38-strong fleet of Mumm 30's, Shaw and his crew made a good start on Wednesday and in a strong westerly breeze, were in the lead when they rounded the first mark but they gybed and headed off down the risky left side of the course and lost ground to Alain Fedensieu's Marseille TBS.

The last upwind leg saw everyone covering each other leaving the BUSA team finishing in second place.

Shaw, who is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Hamble yachtsman Adrian Stead who won the event in 2000 on Barlo Plastics was pleased.

"We had a good start. We were leading at the top mark after Marseille TBS tacked off too early. Then in the first run, we gybed off and the boats behind followed us and Marseille TBS stayed on. We thought it was risky, they could have lost a lot. But they got a gust early. Apart from Marseille, no-one had our boat speed downwind. We're happy to come second."

Marc Audineau's Ville d'Antibes Juan Les Pins is in the lead but with 11 inshore and six offshore races to be completed before the finish in La Napoule, South of France, at the end of this month, the prospects for the inexperienced British team are promising.