Howarth and Townend stride into the lead

Former champion shows the way at the Fireball Worlds in La Rochelle

A cloudier start to the day in La Rochelle, as there had been thunderstorms overnight. Once competitors were in the race area the sea breeze began to kick in and the sun came out and the temperature rose.

Race 2

The first race of the day started in 10 knots and built during the race. Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff lead at the windward mark and looked to be holding the lead until a tacking duel on the final beat with Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend, who had been shadowing them all the way around the course. Howarth and Townend taking the victory by a few centimetres. Martyn Lewis & Richard Bailey took 3rd followed by David Edwards and Simon Potts 4th and Tom Foskett and Tim Needham 5th.

Race 3

Ludovic Alleaume and Etienne Perdon ensured that the home nation would be taking home at least on race trophy by claiming the Volvo Trophy from Martin Peculier and Thomas La Seach. Fireball new boy Mike Senior crewed by Andy Thompson claimed third with Howarth and Townend again consistent with a 4th place. With the racing very tight getting a good position at the windward mark

Race 4

A brief flirtation with the pumping flag was ended at the windward as the wind had dropped down to around 8 knots Ludovic Alleaume and Etienne Perdon and Howarth and Townend both pulled away from the pack to have a personal battle for the race. Howarth won the battle for the race and also took the overall lead from the French team.
Two races are scheduled for Tuesday with more sea breeze conditions predicted with a layday on Wednesday.

Results:

Pos	Sail	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	GBR 15013	HOWARTH Chips	TOWNEND Vyv	1	1	4	1	7
2	FRA 14959	ALLEAUME Ludovic	PERDON Etienne	4	18	1	2	25
3	GBR 14226	LEWIS Martyn	BAILEY Richard	5	4	15	3	27
4	GBR 14924	EDWARDS DAVID	POHS SIMON	12	3	12	6	33
5	CZE 14809	VERNER Jaroslav	WINKLER Pavel	10	13	10	20	53
6	GBR 14949	SENIOR Mike	THOMPSON Andy	15	29	3	7	54
7	GBR 15004	GRAY Peter	FORBES Simon	14	27	5	8	54
8	GBR 14948	FRY Ali	BIG Mac	11	30	6	19	66
9	GBR 14791	HEMMING Angus	CHESNET Steve	29	14	23	5	71
10	GBR 14994	BURGE Matt	WAGSTAFF Richard	2	2	41	28	73
11	GBR 15020	HOREY Vincent	GARDNER Rob	13	10	38	13	74
12	GBR 14993	WAPE David	MAC GRANE Ben	3	6	42	24	75
13	GBR 14892	GIBBS PENNY	GIBBS IAN	38	25	8	4	75
14	GBR 14954	PRIEST Becky	SAUNDERS Tim	7	26	24	21	78
15	GBR 14864	CURZON John	ELVER Peter	23	9	18	32	82
16	GBR 14636	BIRRELL NIKI	BREAREY SAM	9	23	37	17	86
17	IRL 14996	GILLARD Tom	ROWAN Francis	16	22	27	23	88
18	FRA 14793	JUIN Franck	NOUEL Jean francois	26	12	40	14	92
19	IRL 14962	RUNBALL Kenneth	MORAN David	24	8	28	35	95
20	FRA 14925	FOUASSIER Bruno	FOUASSIER Dominique	33	31	20	12	96
21	CZE 14827	KORAN Petr	KVASNIK Milan	18	36	31	18	103
22	FRA 14803	RENON Jean Yves	LECHENE Nicolas	27	15	22	42	106
23	GBR 14950	HOPE Kevin	THORNE Russell	34	11	36	26	107
24	GBR 14820	PEARCE Andrew	BUTLER Hugh	32	38	19	25	114
25	FRA 15005	ALLAIN Jerome	CORRE Alain	21	28	43	22	114
26	FRA 15015	PECULIER Martin	LE SEAC'H Thomas	19	24	2	72	117
27	GBR 14941	SCOTT Derian	SCOTT Andy	35	16	32	36	119
28	GBR 14980	FOSKETT Tom	NEEDHAM Tim	31	5	44	43	123
29	GBR 14805	MASKELL Mark	MASKELL Simon	28	37	52	16	133
30	FRA 15014	GUIDEL Estelle	PERDON Pierre	50	33	25	34	142
31	IRL 14894	BUTLER Noel	MOORE Seamus	52	35	26	30	143
32	GBR 15002	KELSALL Simon	WILLIAMSON Tom	36	21	49	40	146
33	CAN 15024	JOSPE Joe	EGLI Tom	40	43	9	55	147
34	GBR 14895	SMITH ANDY	MILDRED JONNY	25	BFD	11	11	149
35	CZE 14979	SKOREOVA Eva	TKADLEC Viktor	20	17	14	OCS	153
36	GBR 14899	FINDLAY Matt	ANDERTON Richard	6	BFD	13	37	158
37	GBR 14977	POPPLE Philip	TILLSON Gavin	8	32	17	DNF	159
38	CZE 15019	KUBOVY Martin	CAP Martin	22	19	16	DSQ	159
39	FRA 14823	COLLARD Philippe	THUILLIER Gabriel	45	34	39	52	170
40	FRA 14311	OLIVIER Patrice	PUBERT Jean Marc	58	46	58	9	171
41	FRA 14686	BOUTAREL Frederic	MARTINEZ Jany	41	44	54	44	183
42	FRA 14917	THUILLIER Remy	BERTHELOT Loic	17	20	53	DSQ	192
43	FRA 14838	CHARTIER Francois	ROBIN Pierre yves	51	48	34	61	194
44	GBR 14935	ANDY FOSKETT Andy	FOSKETT Lesley	44	62	57	38	201
45	ITA 14932	MOURRIO Leone	LUCA Campati	57	51	69	29	206
46	GBR 14818	BAOHAM Pete	RODHE John	54	45	94	15	208
47	FRA 14973	ANSELMO Pascal	ROBILLARD Jean	67	66	29	49	211
48	IRL 15007	SMYTH Louis	O'REILLY Joe	63	56	66	27	212
49	GBR 14964	MASON David	COLLETT George	46	39	70	60	215
50	SUI 14802	GIOVANOLI GIAN-ANDREA	LIECHTI KURT	76	BFD	7	33	218
51	FRA 14693	ROTTELEUR Eric	ROTTELEUR Laurent	62	65	81	10	218
52	SUI 14896	SCHELLER Richard	EBERLE Linus	30	47	88	59	224
53	GBR 14976	KEARNEY Ross	HYRES Dave	49	BFD	35	39	225
54	IRL 14938	MC GROTTY Nial	MAHON Robort	39	58	60	68	225
55	GBR 15016	SLACK Peter	OGRODZINSKI Hania	43	52	73	64	232
56	BEL 14829	LERNOUT Bert	LERNOUT Kurt	47	71	62	54	234
57	GBR 14885	WHITE Jeremy	TURNEN Dave	73	40	47	76	236
58	CZE 14888	JENISTA Milan	NAPRAVNIK Jakub	56	55	61	69	241
59	GBR 14798	RICHARDS Maria	RILEY Tim	60	BFD	51	31	244
60	FRA 14728	BRIGAUDEAU Christophe	BEGANTON Gerard	70	41	46	88	245
61	GBR 14966	NEWTON Grahame	NEEDHAM Olivier	37	7	DNF	DNC	248
62	GBR 14635	HOWEY Paul	LANG Douglas	69	69	64	46	248
63	SUI 14921	SUTER Maja	SCHLUCHTER Francois	59	59	72	62	252
64	FRA 14400	RENOUARD Serge	MILGRAM Jonathan	94	64	33	63	254
65	FRA 14372	LUCET Denis	LUCET Francoise	82	53	76	47	258
66	FRA 14671	DAGUET Alain	GAULT Philippe	78	74	30	77	259
67	FRA 14699	BIHOREAU Philippe	KRIZEK Nicolas	53	50	78	79	260
68	GBR 14882	WATSON Rob	WALKER Dan	88	70	50	53	261
69	GER 14508	NOLLE JOVY	LEEMANN Roger	61	BFD	59	41	263
70	GBR 14621	HURST Jeremy	HURST Andrew	65	49	71	78	263
71	FRA 14267	RAMEZI Patrice	ROUILLE Michel	48	84	67	66	265
72	GBR 14982	SCARTY MARTIN	KIWG TONY	55	60	77	73	265
73	FRA 14926	BARBIER Philippe	BARBIER Thibault	42	BFD	48	75	267
74	FRA 14632	ROUDEVITCH Alexandre	ROUDEVITCH Olivier	89	63	45	70	267
75	FRA 14500	LEPINAY Jean claude	COROLLER Francois	72	61	80	57	270
76	SUI 14602	WIDMER Fritz	BENDIX Silva	71	BFD	21	80	274
77	GBR 14755	RYDER David	RYDER Michelle	87	57	79	51	274
78	GBR 14909	PRIEST Ian	PEPPERDINE Richard	68	BFD	55	50	275
79	IRL 14877	MC NALLY Daire	O ROURKE Marguerite	66	BFD	65	45	278
80	FRA 15001	COQUEREL Maurice	GUERIN Claude	75	42	95	67	279
81	GBR 14797	DEACON John	LINGARO Lucy	DSQ	68	74	48	292
82	FRA 14677	GOGUEY Gael	PETE Denis	83	54	75	82	294
83	FRA 14773	BOTREL Alain	BOTREL Antoine	79	72	56	89	296
84	ITA 14998	MANZI Luca	ANNRSR Alfredo	74	78	90	56	298
85	IRL 14990	LAVERTY Owen	BUTLER Ed	64	BFD	63	74	303
86	GBR 14999	FESTING David	FESTING Karen	81	79	86	58	304
87	GBR 14800	JORDAN Eugene	COLLETT Graham	86	67	84	71	308
88	ITA 14541	MINONI Andrea	RONDELLI Lorenzo	77	81	68	83	309
89	GBR 14682	WARD Katherine	TOYTON Julia	84	73	87	81	325
90	FRA 14279	AVIGNON Alexandre	ROBERT Matthieu	80	BFD	82	65	329
91	FRA 14124	ANDREYS Yves	RIZET Jean	85	77	91	90	343
92	GBR 14579	WALKER Martin	CAPEY Suzi	92	75	93	85	345
93	FRA 14385	VOLOKOVE Fabrice	GUILMINEAU Linda	95	80	83	87	345
94	GBR 14135	SCARFF Stewart	SCARFF Lesley	93	83	85	84	345
95	GBR 14872	NEWSON Barbara	NEWSON Guy	91	82	92	86	351
96	FRA 14583	SEPTIER Mickael	VIOLLEAU Lucie	96	85	89	91	361
97	GBR 14887	HILL Gareth	HILL Janet	90	76	DNF	DNC	370
98	FRA 10111	CERCLERON Serge	ROJO-BLANCHARD Marie-france	97	DNC	DNC	DNC	403
99	NED 14069	BADOUX ALBERT	DE YONG ROELAND	98	DNE	DNF	DNC	404
100	FRA 14648	LECUYER Jean-Charles	BROUDIC Bastien	99	DNC	DNC	DNC	405