Brits lead Melges

A report from day two of the Coupe de France team racing in St Tropez

Four more races on day two in beautiful spring conditions with gentle breeze and warming sun. The 165 team-members taking part in the second day of the prestigious Coupe de France du Yacht Club de France in the Golfe de Saint-Tropez today wrote a new page in the history of this trophy inaugurated in 1891.

With six races now completed the competitors are enjoying the 54th edition of this wonderful event. With with wind dropping off during the day the water had became as smooth as a lake by midday, causing the organisers to reduce the length of the course in the final race of the day.

Among the Dragons, lady luck smiled on Tsuica with Frenchman Gerard Blanc and Chi of Germany’s Michael Schatten, who won the two first races today, in front of Pistou with Jean-Sebastien Ponce at the hlem. There was bad luck on the other hand for the Monaco boat Tamm ha Tamm belonging to Christian Boillot which was disqualified in the first race today for failing to return from a premature start.

In the Melges 24 class, there was very close racing in the fleet and some exceptionally close finishes. Britain’s Quentin Strauss still leads in Gill , ahead of I Gaulo and Flor Direct .

In the Mumm 30s, the boat sailing under the colours of the Yacht Club de France - Thierry Bouchard's Défi Shared - succeeded in widening the gap and resisting repeated challenges from Pierre-Laurent Garnero and Bernard Mallaret on Toulon Provence, the winners of the last race. Ile de France- Marine Nationale retired from the race.

For Sunday’s final races the forecast is again for light winds and the 30 boats will be on the start line from 11 a.m. with 2-3 more races scheduled in the Golfe.

Provision results are six race - one discard.

1 - Yacht Club de Monaco 2 50 pts : Peter de Ridder - Holl (Mean Machine, Mumm), Philippe Ligot - Fra (Flor Direct Melges), Arnold Tas - Holl (Mean Machine Dragon)

2 - Yacht Club de France 53 pts : Thierry Bouchard - Fra (Maxime Paul) (Défi Partagé Mumm), Henri Samuel - Fra (Zig Zag Melges), Jean Breger - Fra (Ulysse Dragon)

2 - Toulon Provence Méditerranée 57 pts : Pierre-Laurent Garnero - Fra (Magy Mumm), Christophe Barrue - Fra (Denis Infante) (Euro Voiles Melges), Gérard Blanc - Fra (Tsuica Dragon)

4 - The Really Random Team 62 pts : Fezi Khaleghi Yazdi - Holl (Triple P Mumm), Quentin Strauss - UK (Gill Melges), Don O'Donoghue (Martin Payne) - Irl (Sea Bird Dragon)

5 - Suisse Allemand 65 pts : Thomas Studer - Sui (Bienne Voile Mumm), Alba Batzill - All (Vamp Melges), Michael Schatten - All (CHI Dragon)

6 - Marine Nationale 66 pts : Nicolas Pauchet - Fra (Ile de France Mumm), Jean-Paul Douchy - Fra (J'gaulo Melges), Didier Cuny - Fra (Gwaien Dragon)

7 - Yacht Club de Monaco 1 69 pts : Claude Rodelato - Fra, (Toroscatenato Mumm), Benjamin Cohen - Fra (Sogeti Melges), Christian Boillot - Fra (Tamm ha Tamm Dragon)

8 - Voiles sans frontières Suisse 89 pts : Julien Di Biase - Sui (Ville de Genève Carrefour Prevention Mumm), Gilles Guyon - Fra (Nova Melges), Jean-Sébastien Ponce - Fra (Pistou Dragon)

9 - Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez 116 pts : Jean-Albert Gabriel - Fra (Bred Reunion Mumm), Thibaut Garnotel (Nicolas Novara) - Fra (Ville de Saint-Tropez Melges), Julien Desmet - Fra (Tara Dragon)

10 - Team X 119 pts : Vincent Portugal, Marc Pajot - Fra (Belvedere pour Téva Mumm), Silvio Santoni - Ita (Devotissimo Melges), Enric Carreras - Esp (Tico Dragon)

Mumm 30
1 - Défi Partagé Thierry Bouchard - Fra (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 7) 9 pts,
2 - Toulon Provence Méditerranée Pierre-Laurent Garnero - Fra (4, 8, 3, 1, 1, 1) 10 pts,
3- Mean Machine Peter de Ridder - Holl (8, 1, 1, 3, 5, 2) 12 pts,
4- Ile de France- Marine Nationale Nicolas Pauchet - Fra (3, 3, 6, DNC, 6, 3) 21 pts,
5- Toroscatenato Claude Rodelato - Fra (2, 9, 9, 7, 3, 4) 25 pts,
6- Belvedere pour Téva Vincent Portugal, Marc Pajot - Fra (7, 4, 7, 6, 8, 5) 29 pts,
7- Triple P Fezi Khaleghi Yazdi - Holl (6, 5, 4, 9, 9, 6) 30 pts,
8- Ville de Genève Carrefour Prevention Julien Di Biase - Sui (5, 6, 8, 4, 7, 10) 30 pts,
9- Bienne Voile Thomas Studer - Sui (9, 10, 5, 5, 10, 8) 37 pts,
10- Bred Reunion Jean-Albert Gabriel - Fra (10, 7, 10, 8, 4, 9) 38 pts,

Melges 24
1 - Gill Quentin Strauss - UK (2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2) 9 pts,
2- Vamp Alba Batzill - All (5, 1, 2, 3, 8, 1) 12 pts,
3- Flor Direct Philippe Ligot - Fra (1, 5, 4, 4, 1, 3) 13 pts,
4- J'gaulo Jean-Paul Douchy - Fra (4, 4, 3, 1, 2, 6) 14 pts,
5- Zig Zag 15 Henri Samuel - Fra (3, 3, 5, 9, 6, 4) 21 pts,
6 - Sogeti Benjamin Cohen - Fra (6, 6, 7, 5, 5, 9) 29 pts,
7- Ville de Saint-Tropez Thibaut Garnotel - Fra (Nicolas Novara) (9, 7, 8, 7, 4, 5) 31 pts,
8 - Euro Voiles Christophe Barrue - Fra (Denis Infante) (7, 8, 6, 6, 7, 7) 33 pts,
9- Nova Gilles Guyon - Fra (8, 9, 9, 8, 9, 8) 42 pts,
DNC - Devotissimo Silvio Santoni - Ita (DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC) 55 pts,

Dragon
1 - Tsuica Gérard Blanc - Fra (5, 4, 3, 4, 1, 2) 14 pts,
2- Tamm ha Tamm Franck Erisken - Christian Boillot - Fra (1, 6, OCS, 5, 2, 1) 15 pts,
3 - CHI Michael Schatten - All (8, 5, 1, 1, 4, 5) 16 pts,
4- Pistou Jean-Sébastien Ponce - Fra (7, 1, 2, 3, 8, 4) 17 pts,
5 - Sea Bird Don O'Donoghue - Irl (Martin Payne) (2, 2, 6, 6, 7, 7) 23 pts,
6- Ulysse Jean Breger - Fra (3, 7, 5, 9, 5, 3) 23 pts,
7 - Mean Machine Arnold Tas - Holl (6, 3, 4, 8, 6, 6) 25 pts,
8- Gwaien Didier Cuny - Fra (4, 9, 7, 2, 9, 9) 31 pts,
9 - Tico Enric Carreras - Esp (9, 8, 8, 7, 3, 10) 35 pts,
10 - Tara Julien Desmet - Fra (10, 10, 9, 10, 10, 8) 47 pts,

PARTNERS OF THE COUPE DE FRANCE DU YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE :

HRO, Comité du Tourisme des îles de GUADELOUPE, PRIMAGAZ, BERMUDES, Domaine de BERTAUD-BELIEU, Champagne TAITTINGER
La VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ

With the assistance of the patrol craft “Le Grebe” of the French National Navy