France's spring racing fest

A report from the 31st SPI Ouest France-Bouygues Telecom

France’s leading Easter regatta, SPI Ouest-France-Bouygues Telecom, this year being the 31st edition, was sailed in mixed conditions, but with the organisers able to deliver a full program of racing.

On the water, many skippers were able to shine - Daniel Souben’s Courrier Dunkerque in the Farr 30 (ex-Mumm 30), Alain Gautier on Sensation (Mach 6.50) in the Class 6.50 and Alexandre Mercier’s Team Winds B & G (A 31) in IRC 3, and Rene Barnabe on Idefix Team (Sun Fast 32) in IRC 5. They largely dominated their classes. In others such as the Open 7.50, it went to the wire.

"The SPI is a big pre-season test for the Farr 30,” said Daniel Souben. “A victory here is important - it reassures us and especially this helps to validate our choices and tactics to her with our preparation for the season."

Jean-Pierre Nicol who race Le Carré in the Open 7.50 class said: "We had little experience on the boat, but I brought together a crew to win. The experience on board included Didier Le Vourch, winner last year with Loick Peyron and I had confidence in François Morvan to give him the helm of the boat. He is one of the best young sailors of his generation at an international level."

Nicol finished second in the Open 7.50 astern of top Figaro sailor Thomas Rouxel but ahead of another leading light of the Figaro class, Fred Duthil.

Other stars were to be found racing in the Mach 6.50s – while this sounds like a Mini, it is in fact another Open class-inspired sportsboat, a smaller brother to the Open 7.50. The Mach itself is a design by two time Mini Transat winner Seb Magnen, who raced one to third place behind Alain Gautier and 2007 Mini Transat winner Yves le Blevec (currently in the throws of having himself a new 50ft trimaran built).

Results:

Open 7,50 : 1. Thomas Rouxel, Défi Mousquetaires, 47 pts ; 2. Jean-Pierre Nicol, Le Carré, 53, pts ; 3. Fred Duthil, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, 69 pts. 18 classés.

Farr 30 : 1. Daniel Souben, Courrier Dunkerque, 21 pts ; 2. Alban Mesnil, Tender to Rapetou, 53 pts ; 3. Hervé Gautier, CSC HEC Ecole Navale, 54 pts. 21 classés.

J 80 : 1. Sambron, Atlantis, 48 pts ; 2. Queveau, Nantes et Saint-Nazaires, 68 pts ; 3. Hubert, Eos, 84 pts. 90 classés.

BMW Sailing Cup : 1. Hontanx, BMW Sailing Cup n°4, 22 pts ; 2. de la Hosseraye, BMW Sailing Cup n°9, 33 pts ; 3. Brezellec, BMW Sailing Cup n°6, 37 pts. 12 classés.

Class 6.5 : 1. Alain Gautier, Sensation (Mach 6,50), 11 pts ; 2. Yves Le Blévec, Nemo (Mach 6,50), 33 pts ; 3. Sébastien Magnen, Nemo (Mach 6,50), 34 pts. 13 classés.

First 31.7 : 1. Devanneaux, USCPCA - RP, 7 pts ; 2. Le Maux, Gwennath, 18 pts ; 3. Théau, C.S. IBM Nantes, 19 pts. 19 classés.

First Class 7.5 : 1. Thery, Dunkerque Plaisance, 19 pts ; 2. Guillemin, 276 Sailing Team, 25 pts ; 3. Dubois, 276 Accastillage Diffusion Le Havre, 27 pts. 10 classés.

Grand Surprise : 1. Coville, Abaka Conseil, 29 pts ; 2. Kerjean, AS Accenture, 36 pts ; 3. Watier, Formation BE LR 1, 41 pts. 46 classés.

IRC 1 : 1. Nicoleau/Loday, Codiam (Grand Soleil 43), 9 pts ; 2. Névé, Paprec Recyclage, (Sinergia 40), 13 pts ; 3. Gouy, Inis Mor – La Trinitaine (Ker 39), 13 pts. 28 classés.

IRC 2 : 1. Alperovitch, Prime Time (A 35), 8 pts ; 2. Le Men, Pen Koent (First 40.7), 9 pts ; 3. Prietz, Félix (X 40), 10 pts. 38 classés.

IRC 3 : 1. Mercier, Team Winds B & G (A 31), 9 pts ; 2. Gosset, Too Jaws (A 31) , 24 pts ; 3. Barnaud, Heolix (X 34), 29 pts. 40 classés. IRC 4 : 1. Amedeo, Bateaux mouches Pont de l’Alam (X 332), 11 pts ; 2. Amedeo, General Tapioca (Half Tonner), 18 pts ; 3. Fournier le Ray, Brittany Drizzle (Half Tonner), 18pts. 39 classés.

IRC 5 : 1. Barnabe, Team Idefix (Sun fast 32), 22 pts ; 2. Viant, Ginkgo (Super Challenger), 54 pts ; 3. Drieu, Chercheur d’Eponge (Surprise), 58 pts. 53 classés.

J 105 : 1. Blanchard, J’Adore, 20 pts ; 2. Dupuis, Astree III, 24 pts ; 2. Gorioux, Arok Atao, 31 pts. 8 classés.