Like son like father

A report from Grand Prix Petit Navire racing

Yesterday, Claus Hoj Jensen, aboard Hll Lloyd, won the Coupe Internationale de Dragon. Son of Pol-Richard Hoj-Jensen, the Danish showed an amazing regularity, always ending within the first ten of the five rounds, in spite of some hard conditions. Today, everybody is having a rest, except for the CM2 student who will race again at the Birou embankment

As a prologue to the Grand Prix Petit Navire that will start tomorrow, 75 racers already had a glimpse of what Douarnenez' body of water could be like. They sailed three races yesterday with the wind reaching up to 20 knots. Those conditions were so tiring on both men and material that more than 30 Dragon came back to port in the second round.

Claus Hoj-Jensen was the most consistent. Like father, like son, one might say. Pol-Richard, with his two Olympic medals in the Soling in 1976 and 1980 and his 98 international and national titles, has been a very good teacher. As a true specialist, Jensen senior has his own boatyard: Petticrows. Based in England, it produces around 35 new Dragons per year with more than half of them going to French costumers. His work will actually be displayed tomorrow as, out of the 100 Dragon racing, 80 of them come from his yard. Among them will be the Najade, royal Dragon, belonging to Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark, whose 76m yacht, the Danebrog, will moor at the Rosmeur harbour, this afternoon around 15h30.

At the Grand Prix Petit Navire Optimist there was no rest for children today, as they keep on fighting for tomorrow's final. The students are keener than ever with the idea of going back to school with a trophy. Their motivation not always based on the maritime side as young Erwan explains: "If we get qualified for the final, we will get less homework…"

Top 20 Dragon results:

Pos	Sail no	Boat	Helm	Crew	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Tot	Net
1	SUI 288	HLL LOYED	HOJ JENSEN Claus	GHULE Philip	NILESEN Stig	5	3	5	9	5	27	27
2	DEN 359	BB SWING KING	JOHANSEN Peter	SCHMIDT Thomas	LEIFELD Martin	13	20	3	2	6	44	44
3	SUI 296	HANSEATIC LLOYD	HOESCH VINCENT	KNIFFKA HARRO	LIPP MICHAEL	14	16	15	1	3	49	49
4	DEN 365	AFRICAN QUEEN	SCHONHERR Jorgen	WALTERSDORPH Axel	KAEMPE Anders	12	25	12	3	1	53	53
5	TUR 40	ALATURCA	BAYKAL Arda	DINAR Kaya	AYAN Oguz	4	7	8	15	20	54	54
6	GER 1018	RESI	FRITZ Werner	FENDT FLORIAN	GLAS MAX	9	9	22	14	2	56	56
7	USA 310	CLAIRVOYANT	SAWYER Ted	PAYNE Martin	WILLET William	7	30	1	RDG	RDG	63.4	63.4
8	NED 309	FURIE	DE GROOT Gus	WINTERS Hay	HARTMAN Leo	18	4	29	8	13	72	72
9	GER 998	BETTINA	HOUDEK Rudi	HUBERT Sebastian	KELLER Florian	43	13	4	6	11	77	77
10	POR 48	PAMALICAN	ANDRADE Pedro	MARQUES Alfonso	SALLENT Fernando	3	37	11	4	26	81	81
11	FRA 300	AR YOULEG	PEYRON Bruno	CHAPALAIN Gwen	AUDIGANE Sebastien	19	21	19	16	8	83	83
12	NOR 275	ODD JOB	LOFTEROED Odd	DUHRSEN Thomas	PULFER Stephan	22	8	9	21	25	85	85
13	SWE 311	DEJA VU	OLROG Thomas	WILTON Thomas	OLROG Fredrik	27	18	6	22	14	87	87
14	RUS 12	LEADER	STATSENKO Vadim	LITSTYNSKYY Andriy	ZAHAROV Peter	2	27	21	27	15	92	92
15	SUI 298	HLL GAUDIUM	LIBOR Ulli	SCHOEPE Jan	BAHR Gunnar	21	28	24	17	7	97	97
16	IRL 174	RIGMAROLE	ROSS-MURPHY John	PEEL Ed	CANTWELL Andrew	16	2	2	10	DNF	106	106
17	SWE 327	LUMME	SALEN PATRICK	JOHANSSON Olle	SALEN Staffan	8	44	10	28	21	111	111
18	GBR 700	PRINCESS JALINA	PALMER David	BEADSWORTH Andy	CARR David	11	11	BFD	5	9	112	112
19	IRL 157	DAS BOOT	LAVERY John	MAGUIRE Paul	BOWRING Peter	25	36	28	12	16	117	117
20	FRA 336	VICKING	LE BLANC Antoine	DUVERGE Jean-Claude	CREMADES Christian	38	15	31	20	17	121	121