  We aim to determine the fundamental parameters of a sample of B stars with
apparent visual magnitudes below 8 in the field-of-view of the CoRoT space
mission, from high-resolution spectroscopy. We developed an automatic procedure
for the spectroscopic analysis of B-type stars with winds, based on an
extensive grid of FASTWIND model atmospheres. We use the equivalent widths
and/or the line profile shapes of continuum normalized hydrogen, helium and
silicon line profiles to determine the fundamental properties of these stars in
an automated way. After thorough tests, both on synthetic datasets and on very
high-quality, high-resolution spectra of B stars for which we already had
accurate values of their physical properties from alternative analyses, we
applied our method to 66 B-type stars contained in the ground-based archive of
the CoRoT space mission. We discuss the statistical properties of the sample
and compare them with those predicted by evolutionary models of B stars. Our
spectroscopic results provide a valuable starting point for any future seismic
modelling of the stars, should they be observed by CoRoT.
