Blustery beach weather

Racing called off on day two of the Raid Bleu Normandie F18 racing

Everyone present was already imagining phenomenal launchings off wave crests, spinnakers exploding , and barely a single float still slicing the water’s surface. The real picture was more one of capsized boats and mayhem amid a viciously gusty wind. What could have been an intense two-on-two race between the leaders turned into a short outing… with good reason!

It took a madman like ORMA 60 trimaran skipper Yvan Bourgnon, on board his Brossard, to remain on the water well after the race was called off; in fact, he even tried to fly a spinnaker, somehow hoping to release his F18 from all contact with the water! But this sailors’ experience in extreme conditions around the globe, sailing huge multihulls across wild oceans, could hardly set the standard for the day’s race. The wind blew to 32 knots, and Pierre Chalres Barrault, the President of the Race Committee, together with Denis Horeau decided to call off the event and send everyone back to the shore’s safety.

Winner’s duel

Though all sailors would much prefer to express their domination on the water, the day’s cancellation benefits the Heemskerk-Tentij team: with a 4'47" lead over Billy Besson and Arnaud Jarlegan, their position is well established. What’s more, the team in third place, Jean-Luc Mathieu and Thierry Jenouvrier, lags by a whole 12 minutes, followed closely by Matthieu Souben and Gurvan Bontemps.

However unlikely a final battle for first place, there will no doubt be plenty of action for the following places on the podium.

Preliminary results at the end of two days’ sailing:

1. NED 007 Mischa Heemskerk – Baastian Tentij
2. FRA 51 Billy Besson – Arnaud Jarlegan + 4’47’’
3. FRA 910 Jean-Luc Mathieu – Thierry Jenouvrier + 12’34’’
4. FRA 103 Matthieu Souben – Gurvan Bontemps + 13’31’’
5. BEL 50 Thierry Bosser – Alain Gramme + 13’52’’
6. GBR 756 Hugh Styles – Ryan Crawford + 14’47’’
7. SUI 8 Yvan Bourgnon – Matthieu Marfaing + 22’55’’
8. GBR 696 Stuart Gummer – Ellen Forshaw + 24’20’’
9. FRA 1 Thibault Vauchel-Camus – Benjamin Lamotte + 24’23’’
10. Benoît Campanhac – Pierre-Jean Valer + 28’50’’