Ellen and Alain day

But bad for Fujifilm and other tris at the 9 Telecom ORMA Grand Prix in Fecamps

It was a day of drama-filled racing on day one of the Offshore Racing Multihull Association's 9 Telecom Grand Prix in Fecamps.

Loick Peyron's Fujifilm won the first race in blazing style, showing much of his old form of past years, when he dominated this increasingly competitive circuit. Unfortunately while leading on the second beat of the second race the mast on his new trimaran Fujifilm came tumbling down.

There was also a collision on the start line of the first race between the two sisterships Bonduelle and Fila.Giovanni Soldini's Fila sailed on to finish the race despite sustaining damage to her starboard foil, but Bonduelle, sailed by Jean le Cam was forced to retire with damage to her crossbeams. "We will be on the start line tomorrow," commented Le Cam. "We could have raced today, but taking risks in not a very good option with the Jacques Vabre only one and a half months away."

Lalou Roucayrol's Banque Populaire also suffered a broken gennaker pole and was unable to use her gennaker.

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