Monday May 15 2006
Groupama 2 first into Nice
Franck Cammas and his crew of five are first to bring their trimaran across the finishing line of the Londres-Alpes Maritimes yacht race finishing off Nice at 14h 12' 04'' today, after 6 days 21 hours and 3 minutes and 4 seconds. This marks the first ocean race victory for Groupama 2 since she was launched in June 2004.
Groupama 2 appeared in the Baie des Anges this afternoon in a 8-12 knot ESE breeze, taking a little less than 7 days to cover the 2075 miles from London to Nice at an average speed of 12.67 knots. This race time emphasises the diversity of the weather conditions from the Thames, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Light air and moderate breezes alternated throughout, the crews sometimes being slowed to a halt and at other times accelerating. The index feature of this first ocean race marking the opening of the new Multi Cup Café Ambassador Championship has been the permanent duel between Groupama 2 and Banque Populaire IV who have reindexed within ten or so miles of each other since the start in London !
Pascal Bidégorry and his crew (Banque Populaire IV) should be crossing the finishing line in Nice within half an hour, around 14h40.
Monday May 15 2006
Banque Populaire IV second
Pascal Bidégorry and his five-strong crew have taken second in the Londres-Alpes Maritimes yacht race, half an hour after winner Franck Cammas over a 2 075 mile long course lasting 6 days 21 hours. Brought to scale, this means a time differential of 3/1000 nds ! The final positions were determined in the last few miles between Porquerolles and Nice.
The 8-12 knots ESE breeze was therefore favourable to Groupama 2 first to appear in the Baie des Anges. And yet nothing was truly certain at the Iles du Levant and even in the Baie de Saint-Tropez, as both trimarans continually fought tooth and nail for the leadership position. Since leaving London the boats have never been much more than 10 miles apart. Taking what were tantamount to the same routing options, Groupama 2 and Banque Populaire IV were often within sight of one another, sometimes within just a few metres.
But in the end, light air head to wind over a flat sea turned out to give a very slight advantage to the latest trimaran in the fleet. Franck Cammas made the most of this and moved into the lead close to Nice keeping his closest rival at bay as far as Antibes before making his final getaway. But the meagre half hour separating the two boats confirms just what a close thing it was. Banque Populaire IV has sailed a fine race but did not manage to make this her second Nice win. This time last year, Pascal Bidégorry won the IB Group Challenge from Lorient to the Alpes Maritimes.
Never the less, the Londres-Alpes Maritimes rankings reindex provisional as we have to await the outcome of the jury’s decision arising out of the protest lodged by Pascal Bidégorry against Franck Cammas for failing to switch his navigation lights when the sun went down. The hearing is to be held at the end of the afternoon.
Rankings in the Londres-Alpes Maritimes yacht race :
1-Franck Cammas (Groupama 2) in 6d 21h 03’ 04’’
2-Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire IV) in 6d 21h 26’ 36’’ : 23 minutes 32 seconds from the leader
Crew - Groupama 2 :
Franck Cammas
Franck Proffit
Bruno Laurent
Jean-Baptiste Levaillant
Lionel Lemonchois
Jacques Caraës
Crew - Banque Populaire IV :
Pascal Bidégorry
Ronan Lucas
Florent Chastel
Ewen Le Clech
Charles Caudrelier
Yvan Ravussin
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