First Raid Bleu

Hugh Styles reports from the first annual endurance challenge in Normandy

From the 5-8 of May was the first edition of the Raid Bleu endurance challenge along the coast of Normandy. The event was held on Omaha beach the location of the D-Day landing near to Caen and consisted of a course of between 20 and 45 nautical miles. The British teams of Hugh Styles and Ryan Crawford (Nacra Infusion), Stuart Gummer and Ellen Foreshaw (Capricorn), and James Power and Gillian Power (Capricorn) joined the other 36 teams from six nationalities spreading over two continents.

Saturday dawned with a light breeze and a leisurely lunchtime briefing. The French press were out in force to greet all the teams individually on the purpose built stage coach. Due to the later start time, the course was comparatively tame at 22 nautical miles. The teams started with a mile long heavily tidal upwind leg, this saw the boats on the left of the course take the early advantage with Heemskerk and Tentji and Bosser and Gramme making best of the leg and the following three sail reach.

The next upwind leg of the course saw a few place changes and all three British teams closing in on the leading pack. Team Styles and Crawford momentarily took third place but were overhauled in the light and fluky conditions. After nearly three hours of racing, the fleet had spread out with some teams not making the tight half hour time limit. The final positions were Besson and Jarlegan, Heemskerk and Tentji, Bosser and Gramme, Souben and Bontemps, Styles and Crawford.

Day two dawned with a fast building breeze and some sore hands amongst most of the fleet. Racing started in 10-12 knots and with a heavily port biased line. Team Styles and Crawford made a punchy attempt at a port tack pin end start and promptly found themselves in a little fracas with a French Cirrus sailor. Gummer and Foreshaw and Power and Power found a good turn of speed in the increasing gusty wind, the former taking the lead before making a navigational mistake. The two Yamaha Infusion teams of Besson and Jarlegan and Heemskerk and Tentji made best of the breeze and gained a decent lead before Besson missed a mark and found himself beating back to an offshore mark. Styles and Crawford were pushing hard and found themselves in a dicey situation after a gust on a three sail reach. Gummer and Foreshaw sailed solidly edging into a top five position. By the end of the 46 nautical mile course, teams were battered and bruised but still fighting for every inch. The final positions finishing were Heemskerk and Tentji, Mathieu and Jenouvrier, Besson and Jarlegan, Bourgnon and Marfaing, Gummer and Forshaw.

Day three lived up to the forecast and although the fleet arrived at the starting area, the wind was deemed too strong to carry out racing and it was cancelled for the day. The day’s activities turned to land yachting on Omaha beach which also proved highly entertaining. Unfortunately the breeze did not modify and day four did not see the boats leave the beach, leaving Heemskerk and Tentji overal victors.

All competitors enjoyed the first edition of the event and its press coverage and atmosphere made it a real public spectacle. The Region Normandy made all teams feel very welcome with their great hospitality and organisation.

Thanks to Nacra Europe Fat Face and Mardon Marine who made the trip possible for Styles and Crawford. Now looking forward to the next long distance race the Round Texel Race in the middle of June.

Results:

Pos	Helm/Crew	Sail Number	Tot Time
1	Heemskerk-Tentji	NED 007	06 h 09 mn 56 s
2	Besson-Jarlegan	FRA 51	06 h 14 mn 43 s
3	Mathieu-Jenouvrier	FRA 910	06 h 22 mn 30 s
4	Souben-Bontemps	FRA 103	06 h 23 mn 27 s
5	Bosser-Gramme	BEL 50	06 h 23 mn 48 s
6	Styles-Crawford	GBR 756	06 h 24 mn 43 s
7	Bourgnon-Marfaing	SUI 8	06 h 32 mn 51 s
8	Gummer-Forshaw	GBR 696	06 h 34 mn 16 s
9	Vauchel_Camus-Lamotte	FRA 1	06 h 34 mn 19 s
10	Champanhac-Valer	FRA 4	06 h 38 mn 46 s
11	Chanteloup-Sangiardi	FRA 116	06 h 39 mn 35 s
12	Power-Power	GBR 16	06 h 40 mn 04 s
13	Allaire-Benech	FRA 10	06 h 40 mn 58 s
14	Walhain-Pelissier	FRA 53	06 h 41 mn 44 s
15	Levionnois-Levionnois	FRA 1923	06 h 46 mn 39 s
16	Lecomte-Hollevoet	BEL 2	06 h 54 mn 24 s
17	Masurel-Masurel	FRA 922	06 h 56 mn 09 s
18	Laguarrigue-Fernandez	FRA 5	06 h 57 mn 22 s
19	Devanneaux-Hulsman	NED 705	06 h 57 mn 26 s
20	Girault-Paly	FRA 171	06 h 57 mn 50 s
21	Lemaire-Nishio	BEL 22	07 h 10 mn 58 s
22	Daval-Daval	FRA 112	07 h 11 mn10 s
23	Salé-Bertaux	FRA 202	07 h 20 mn 05 s
24	De Koning-Tadema	NED 3	07 h 20 mn 16 s
25	Paquin-Colin	FRA 794	07 h 26 mn 18 s
26	Antoine-Blanchot	FRA 200	07 h 27 mn 51 s
27	Wardley-Péron	AUS 956	07 h 34 mn 08 s
28	Foucart-Coisne	FRA 1450	07 h 34 mn 22 s
29	Tripon-Le Joubioux	FRA 57	07 h 36 mn 12 s
30	Lilti-Gosselin	FRA 56	07 h 38 mn 00 s
31	de Gouville-Gourbesville	FRA 907	07 h 41 mn 44 s
32	Vanhaverbeke-Simpelaere	BEL 33	08 h 05 mn 17 s
32	Macé-Lemeslif	FRA 511	08 h 05 mn 17 s
34	Semblat-Yann	FRA 49	08 h 05 mn49 s
35	Lapasset-Lemaitre	FRA 101	08 h 52 mn 24 s
35	Guery-Le Souder	FRA 11	08 h 52 mn 24