Gautier and MacArthur take Grand Prix

Foncia-Kingfisher wins the ORMA's circuit's Fecamp Grand Prix in variable conditions

Alain Gautier and Ellen MacArthur on Gautier's 60ft trimaran Foncia won the Port de Fécamp Grand Prix to take a comfortable lead in the Offshore Racing Multihull Association's 9 TELECOM Championship.

Groupama skipper Franck Cammas in second place, saw his hopes of catching up with Gautier and MacArthur vanish in the sixth race following problems with his gennaker, although he went on to win the last race.

Third place was not decided until the final reaching leg of the last race. Lalou Roucayrol, who won the first race of the day (his first ever win in this new trimaran) was locking horns with Jean-Luc Nélias on board the old lady of the fleet, Belgacom.

The Fécamp Grand Prix saw varied weather conditions. Eight races were sailed in a mixture of medium, light and some strong winds - and there were many highlights. On the first day many boats suffered some damage Loick Peyron's Fujifilm was dismasted in the second race, forcing her to retire prematurely from the Grand Prix. Also apparent is that the new generation of multihulls in particular Bonduelle and Banque Populaire are becoming more capable of challenging the older, more reliable boats. But it was this latter generation that still seem to have good days in front of them as it was two of the older generation boats which won at Fecamp.