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Route du Rhum - Fujifilm rounds the Fréhel mark in first position
Absender: Trimaran Fujifilm
Empfänger: redaktion@segel.de
Datum: 10. Nov 2002 19:21
A determined, serene but lucid Loïck Peyron
Taking on the Atlantic, without any pressure
After a careful start, Loïck Peyron was ideally positioned on the windward side of the course, in order to overtake his rivals one by one, his Fujifilm trimaran displaying amazing capabilities upwind. After a merciless duel against Franck Cammas aboard Groupama, Loïck took the first place at the cape Fréhel buoy, thanks to a perfect tacking move.
"Enventually, my gray hair got there first !", laughed the skipper over the VHF, after having won the battle against Groupama's young skipper… The two men have fought a splendid battle, which thrilled the spectators until the last few meters. Fujifilm and Groupama, visibly at ease in the conditions of today's start, upwind in a 20 knot breeze, have battled during more than an hour on three tacks. Beginning his tacking manoeuvre a split second after Franck Cammas's, Loïck performed the perfect combination, his trimaran building up speed immediately, and taking the final advantage. According to an unofficial statistic, the sailors who had rounded the Fréhel mark in first or second position have ended up winning the Route du Rhum : acknowledging this "fact", Loïck reindexed quite sceptical, saying that he has already been there in second position in the past !
Tough night ahead
Aboard Fujifilm, everything is fine and the skipper, motivated by his stunning start, is totally serene concerning the upcoming events : "conditions will be tough from tonight on, it will get wet and the wind will increase". 35 to 40 knots of wind and some gusts are effectively expected on the course. "I'll have to reduce sails quite soon, but for the time being, Fujifilm is perfectly balanced under staysail and one reef in the index. With the conditions we'll encounter, I don't think I'll get some sleep within the next 48 hours. As far as tactics are concerned, I reckon it will be a real south route as soon as I'll have exited the Channel… Deliverance should come in the south of the Canary Islands, even though one is never totally stress-free on such machines ! Anyhow, it's going to be a 'hot' night but everything will be just fine, we've been there already". Even if this start does not allow anyone to jump to conclusions, it taught us at least one thing : Loïck's determined to put some serious pressure on his rivals !
More information:
http://www.fujifilm.fr/
http://www.loickpeyron.com/
http://www.routedurhum.org/
Copyright-free pictures (high resolution):
http://www.pixsail.com/eng/peyron
http://www.routedurhum.org/ / Press center section
Agent for Loïck Peyron / Catherine Giry-Devaux
GSM +33 (0)6 07 43 94 00
E-mail c.girydevaux@wanadoo.fr
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