Tagesberichte siehe Menu unten
30.08.2012
The Sailors Starring in the Normandy Channel Race
30 sailors will be taking the start of the Normandy Channel Race this Sunday. The line-up for the event in Caen is a choice one to say the least, with a number of duos in with a chance of outright victory. This year, for its third edition, the Normandy Channel Race is providing a fantastic mixture of talent, with sailors from a great variety of backgrounds. Today, the race village opened its doors with a wealth of entertainment on offer to the general public throughout the event.
Jorg Riechers and Nicolas Boidevezi surely have to rank as favourites in this 2012 edition of the race. This year the German won the Solidaire du Chocolat between Nantes - Saint Nazaire and the Yucatan with Marc Lepesqueux. He also finished second in the Transat Quebec – Saint Malo. He’ll be racing aboard his Mach 40 “Mare”, a formidable latest generation yacht designed by Sam Manuard, alongside the young, talented Nicolas Boidevezi, a top-level skier and recent winner in the Mini 6.50 during the last leg of Les Sables – Les Açores.
Also in with a good chance of a podium finish are Halvard Mabire / Miranda Merron on “Campagne de France”. From nearby Cherbourg, the former is one of France’s greatest offshore racers, having crewed for the legendary Eric Tabarly and tried his hand at racing circuits, naval architecture and designing. Most recently, together with his British partner, he won the Transat Quebec - Saint Malo. The duo is very familiar with the English Channel and the difficult sailing along the coast of Normandy, England and Ireland, so the Normandy Channel Race could be the perfect course for them. Mabire and Merron finished second in the race in 2010 behind Thomas Ruyant and Tanguy Leglatin.
Basque sailor Sébastien Rogues, a hardened Mini sailor and winner of the first leg of the Transat 6.50 2011, third in the last Transat Quebec – Saint Malo, isn’t here simply to make up the numbers either. Indeed, he has invited a former winner of the Solitaire du Figaro aboard “Eole Generation – GDF Suez” in the form of the fine meteorologist Dominic Vittet.
On home waters, Marc Lepesqueux, a major player in the Class 40 from the outset, has been in fine form since the start of the season. Together with Eric Defert, an experienced skipper, “Les Conquérants – Caen La Mer” team may well have a few tricks up its sleeves.
The same is true for the British boat skippered by Ned Collier-Wakefield and Sam Goodchild: “Concise 2”. They are among the great hopes of English sailing given the calibre of their racing thus far.
Yannick Bestaven, winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2011 and Julien Pulvé, “Phoenix Europ Express”, are also topping the bill for the Normandy Channel Race, as are Stéphane Le Diraison and Dutch sailor Ben Korner on “Masai”; all of whom are capable of being first across the finish line. That is unless Jean Galfione and Eric Péron on “Talanta” have other ideas! In short, it’s impossible to predict the future winner given the top-class fleet and Normandy Channel Race 2012 is sure to be intense.
Quotes from the boats:
Yannick Bestaven, skipper of the Class 40 “Phoenix Europe Express”: “There are a number of pretenders to victory, including “Mare” skippered by the German sailor, Jorg Riechers, who has the fastest boat. “Campagne de France” skippered by the experienced Halvard Mabire, who’s very familiar with sailing along the English coast, has a chance, as do Sébastien Rogues and Dominic Vittet, to name but a few. For our part, we have a few points to our credit. I’m teaming up with Julien Pulvé, a young Mini sailor who’s brimming with talent and usually fills the role of préparateur on my boat”.
Manfred Ramspacher, organiser of the Normandy Channel Race: “The level of the fleet is very similar. I reckon seven to eight duos could take outright victory. The battle will be intense and it’ll be very interesting to track them each day”.
Jorg Riechers, skipper of the Class 40 “Mare”: “I’ve heard tell that we’ve been given the label of favourites for the Normandy Channel Race. We’ve certainly had some good results since the start of the year but the crews of Mabire / Merron, Rogues / Vittet, Bestaven / Pulvé will be a threat. This race won’t be decided on boat speed. Strategy will come into play given the complexity of the course”.
Louis Duc, from nearby Cherbourg, skipper of the Class 40 “Avis Immobilier”: “I’m sailing aboard a first generation Akilaria. As such we’re going to have a few difficulties in going as fast as the latest Class 40s. In fact I’m in favour of a ‘vintage’ standing. Our aim is to get ahead of the other old Class 40s like the Pogo skippered by Norwegians Bjorn Borresen and Jan-Helge Furnesvik”.
Sébastien Rogues, skipper of the Class 40 “Eole Génération – GDF Suez”: “I’m still finding my way around the Class 40 but I really gained in confidence during the Transat Quebec - Saint Malo. Dominic Vittet and I have our sights on the podium”.
One day, one crew
The Basque sailor Sébastien Rogues and Breton Dominic Vittet know each other well. Dominic has been advising Sébastien for a while now. This young man, a former Laser sailor, has raced the Mini 6.50 circuit. He notably won the first leg of the Transat 6.50 in 2011. Jovial and solidly-built, Rogues is on the point of becoming a real force in French offshore racing. This year he’s learning the ropes of the Class 40 and things are going pretty well for him as, together with Rémi Beauvais and Sébastien Marsset, he’s made it onto the third step of the podium in the Transat Quebec – Saint Malo! For the Normandy Channel Race, he’ll be relying on the services of the knowledgeable Dominic Vittet. Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro 1993 as well as boasting a participation in the America’s Cup 2002, sixth place in the Route du Rhum 2006, 13 participations in the Tour de France à la Voile, Vittet is a top racer and a recognised meteorologist.
A star of London in Caen
The Belem made it into Caen late morning today. The large French three-masted ship, which accommodates a great many trainees year-round for some fine sailing along the coast of France, has really been honoured over the past few weeks. She was on show during the London Olympics 2012, just shy of the famous Tower Bridge in the very heart of the British capital. As the world thronged to the Olympic site, the ship played host to the families of athletes supported by the Caisses d’Epargne. She also attended the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in early June in order to celebrate Franco-British relations. The Belem, run by the venerable Belem Foundation, will be in Caen through until Sunday for the great delight of the locals and the skippers in the Normandy Channel Race.
Points to recall about the Normandy Channel Race:
>> 16 Class 40s, two sailors per boat, such as the duos Rogues – Vittet, Mabire – Merron, Riechers – Boidevezi…
>> Start and finish in Caen
>> 1,000 miles via the Saint-Marcouf Islands, the Isle of Wight, Tuskar Rock and Fastnet, Guernsey
>> 10 nationalities
>> Thomas Ruyant and Tanguy Leglatin, Tanguy de Lamotte and Sébastien Audigane won the last editions
Press information:
>> Track progress in the Normandy Channel Race at www.normandy-race.com
>> Become a friend on the Normandy channel race Facebook page
>> twitter@normandyrace2012
>> Rights free photos for the press and web
>> Press room with Wifi at the Pavillon de Normandie from Wednesday 29 August
>> Embarkation possible for the press on request during the start and finish of the Normandy Channel Race
>> Radio link-ups with the sailors open to the public everyday during racing from 1200 to 1400 hours at the Pavillon de Normandie
Reminder of the programme:
- Arrival of the Class 40s by Wednesday 29 August at the latest in Bassin St Pierre.
The public can visit the Belem: Friday 31 August from 1000 to 1800 hours (final tour starts at 1730 hours), Saturday 1 September from 1000 hours to 1800 hours (final tour starts at 1730 hours), Sunday 2 September at Ouistreham from 1530 to 1830 hours (final tour starts at 1800 hours)
- Opening of the ‘entertainment’ village for the Normandy Channel Race on Thursday 30 August at noon in the community marquee
- Thursday 30 August / Sunday 2 September: opening of the Caen race village in the town centre, Bassin St Pierre, with a wealth of entertainment and some 20,000 visitors in 2011.
- Presence of the three-master BELEM over the 4-day event, along with the VULCAIN, which belongs to the French Navy, partner to the event.
- Sunday 2 September: 1230 / 1400 hours fleet parade along the canal from Caen to the sea.
- Arrival of the fleet from 1400 hours at Ouistreham’s index lock.
- Race start off Hermanville at 1700 hours local time, harbour course.
- Offshore race from Sunday 2 to Friday 7 / Saturday 8 September according to the weather forecast
- The boats head upriver to Caen where they will join in with the PRESQU’ILE EN FETE celebrations, prize-giving on Sunday 9 at 1800 hours.
Partners to the Normandy Channel Race: the city of Caen, the Lower Normandy regional council, the departmental council for the Calvados region, the Caen La Mer conglomeration and the Caen Normandie Chamber of Commerce.
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
|
