14.05.2010
A prime line-up in Caen
Tomorrow’s prologue to the Normandy Channel Race will kick off the sports
festivities for this first edition. Then on Sunday at 1400 hours, 10 duos
will take the start of the race itself, which is both 100% Norman and
international. Due to set sail from Caen, there is a high quality line-up
for this first ever Normandy Channel Race. Indeed, with the organisers
preparing for this event in less than two months, they can congratulate
themselves on the commitment of so many top level crews. We review the
details of the pairings to watch out for in their bid for outright victory.
Tanguy De Lamotte is unquestionably one of the sailors that tops the bill in
this event. From Lower-Normandy and project manager at Karver, a company
specialised in deck fittings and based in nearby Honfleur, Tanguy is a top
level sailor whose decision to race in the Class 40 fleet was a fast one.
Back in 2006, he teamed up with the British architect Simon Rogers to build
a sleek yacht by the name of “Novedia – Initiatives”, which was really at
the limit of the Class measurement. Last year, when teaming up with Adrien
Hardy, Tanguy won the Solidaire du Chocolat, the first real transatlantic
race designed specifically for the Class 40. During this Normandy Channel
Race, De Lamotte is forming a duo with Jean Galfione, a very high level
sportsman, who is continuing his offshore training, with numerous ambitions
for the Class 40 in the years to come.
Yvan Noblet, a pioneer of the Class 40 since the Route du Rhum 2006, also
ranks as one of the favourites in the Normandy Channel Race. A familiar
figure to the Class 40, he boasts considerable offshore experience on this
craft. Furthermore, this year his partnership with “Appart City” has enabled
him to hire Italian, Giovanni Soldini’s Verdier design. It is a boat that
has won just about everything so it’s clear that Yvan is stepping up a gear
in this race. David Taboré, a sailor of note from the Mini 6.50 world, will
be teaming up with him for this 1,000 mile race.
From Lower-Normandy, Halvard Mabire will be sailing with English skipper
Peter Harding on the Owen Clarke design Class 40, “40 Degrees”. Halvard,
winner of the last Quebec Saint Malo, certainly has one of the greatest
track records in French sailing after 30 years of offshore racing, while
Peter has racked up a good number of participations himself in the Class 40.
Both have high ambitions for the event, though the boat has yet to be made
fully reliable.
Another force to be reckoned with is the Thomas Ruyant / Tanguy Leglatin
duo. The former is the latest winner of the Transat 6.50 and is a young
sailor with a wealth of experience. A recent arrival to the Class 40, he
didn’t have long to wait before he won his first event of the circuit at the
Grand Prix de Douarnenez. Kitted out with another Guillaume Verdier design,
sistership to Yvan Noblet’s boat, the sailor from nearby Dunkirk, Thomas
Ruyant, isn’t in the Normandy Channel Race to make up the numbers.
Co-skipper Tanguy Leglatin, from France’s Atlantic coast in Lorient, is
better known for his coaching talents (Isabelle Joschke, Armel Tripon,
Sébastien Rogues), but doubtless at sea Tanguy knows how to put his words
into practice. Furthermore, he knows “Destination Dunkerque” like the back
of his hand as he’s sailed on her on numerous occasions this past winter
with Thomas. They’re certainly the most well trained of the line-up!
Another sailor from Lower-Normandy is Marc Lepesqueux, a native of Caen, who
could well alter the tone in this event. Doubling up with him will be Eric
Defert, a duo who have vast experience of both the Class 40 and the Figaro
circuit. “Marie Toit / Caen La Mer”, a Jumbo 40, has been considerably
optimised over recent years and this craft can be fearsome upwind.
Jacques Fournier, skipper and Class president, along with Belgian sailor
Denis Van Weynbergh, as well as the Christophe Coatnoan and Pierre-Yves
Lautrou pairing, will all have something to add to proceedings too.
Last but not least we note the presence of some 100% overseas pairings:
Hardened Dutch sailors Roeland Franssens and Michel Klenjans on
“Moonpalace”, a fast Pogo 40 S, are familiar with the Irish and Celtic Seas
with a total of five Fastnet Races to their credit among others. From South
Africa are the crew of “Phesheya – Racing” made up by Nick Leggatt and
Philippa Hutton-Squire, with a British team comprising Andrew Dawson and
Stephen Card on “Spliff”.
Renowned journalist and a fine connoisseur of ocean racing, Pierre-Yves
Lautrou, who will be competing in the Class 40 section of the Route du Rhum
2010 on “Groupe Partouche”, gives his view of the Normandy Channel Race:
“For me Thomas Ruyant and Tanguy Leglatin are the race favourites. They have
a good boat and a good crew. They also recently won the Grand Prix de
Douarnenez. I also think that Tanguy De Lamotte and Yvan Noblet have a
chance as they are both connoisseurs of the Class 40 and have previously
demonstrated their ability to go fast. Tanguy De Lamotte has an impressive
CV in the Class 40. For my part, I’ll be racing in the Normandy Channel Race
with a sailor from Upper Normandy, Christophe Coatnoan. I’ll be racing with
a great deal of humility and with the ambition of continuing my training in
the Class 40 and the onboard electronics in particular. Fortunately I do
know the areas we’ll be racing through thanks to six Mini-Fastnets and 2
Fastnets”.
The Normandy Channel race website is located at:
http://www.normandy-race.com/
Rights free photos for the press and web
For Sirius Evénements the press contacts are: Tanguy Blondel +33 (0)6 88 45
35 36 – Denis van den Brink +33 (0)6 07 91 65 66
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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