Nouvelle-Caledonie wins twice
The wind finally got up on Dieppe, and the competitors of the Tour de France Sailing Race were able to sail two windward leeward races. Several general recalls, withdrawals, and penalties: the fleet which competed in front of Dieppe's white cliffs today was energetic.
'Tour de France Sailing Race'
Jean Marie Liot ©
The gentle breeze which blew this morning increased between the two legs up to fifteen knots. Despite its adversaries' good performances, Nouvelle-Cal?donie will be the one hoisting the red Honda Civic Hybrid spinnaker, that of the leader. The M 30s will leave at 7pm for a 178 nautical miles offshore leg.
Twenty-seven M 30s rushing on the starting line, it couldn't work. Many general and individual recalls, but not a single proper start! Toulon Provence M?diterran?e - COYCHy?res (Fabien Henry) started it, touching the starting mark on the first start: 'we wanted to start on port tack, which was too risky. we drifted onto the buoy', explains number one crew Fran?ois Liron. Fabien Henry's M 30 finally ranked thirteenth. No better situation on Elcima? - Ville de Marseille (Dimitri Deruelle), which ranked sixteenth in the first race due to a bad departure. It isn't easy to catch up after a bad start on short courses (1.3 nautical miles).
Nouvelle-Cal?donie won both races of today. Apart from the first buoy, where they ranked second behind Brest Grandes Ecoles ENSIETA ESC (Lo?c Le Garrec), Nouvelle-Cal?donie never saw the stern of the other competitors again. They are already 24 points ahead of the second in the general ranking, Manche Basse-Normandie (Beno?t Charon / Nicolas Jossier). However, the Normans are favourites for next offshore legs. will they arrive first at home?
Regularity? Ask Saint-Malo Purflo Team SNBSM (Fran?ois Lebourdais) about it! The amateur crew ranked fourth and fifth today, and are now only three points away from the podium, behind B?tisseurs du Morbihan (Nicolas Pauchet / Victor Lanier). But it is very close between the third and the seventh M 30, which are only seven points apart.
It has to be remarked that Brest Grandes Ecoles ENSIETA ESC (Lo?c Le Garrec) has been first for a whole leg during the first race. They finally ranked third in this race, but they were forced to abandon during the next one, because they tore their spinnaker hauling it down.
The sailors will leave Dieppe at 7pm for one of the longest offshore legs of this 2008 Tour de France Sailing Race. They should arrive in Granville - Pays Granvillais during the night between Friday and Saturday.
tourvoile.fr/
by Anatole Lucet 
perth, WA
