Back in the breeze

Figaro Generali Mediterranee fleet race round the Porquerolles

After their boats were motored from Impéria to Hyères yesterday due to the lack of wind, the singlehanded Figaro sailors taking part in the Generali Mediterranee were keen to get sailing again today.

The format for today was an 18 mile race around the Porquerolles and on this occasion there was wind - 12 knots.

Overall race leader Gildas Morvan made the best job of the start followed closely by Armel le Cléach and Erwan Tabarly. While le Cleach and Jérémie Beyou headed for the right it was Tabarly who moved into the lead although it was close between the top five. Tabarly went on to win the race and with a disappointing seventh place for Morvan only two points now separate him from second placed Tabarly on the leaderboard.

British competitor Sam Davies finished 27th today. "I did not have a particularly good start so fighting from behind," she commented. "The first beat was good but on the next beat the pilot did not seem to be set up right for tacking...really slow through the tacks and the beat was too short to change it. We started in 16 knots of sea breeze and I was trying out the boat set up for moderate to windy conditions. Upwind was good but then the wind really decreased down to 8 knots in the second part of the beat to had to re-think set up. Learning what to change first - backstay, twist, etc - I know in my head what to do but when you're racing it its harder. It was hard to get past anyone today as after the beat it was a procession downwind, gybe round the corner, drop the spinnaker, short reach, spinnaker up then another reach."

The Figaro class is one where experience pays huge dividends, therefore the competition between those in their first season is important. In most Figaro races they are given their own rankings.

"The rookies in this event are good... Christopher Pratt is particularly good, only 22 and a really good sailor, he will go places," commented Sam. "But he doesn't have the funding right now to do the Solitaire. Franck-Yves Escoffier has done so much solo sailing - he's very good and very experienced - he will be the one to beat if anyone out of all the rookies. The others I think are beatable... I beat Yves Le Blevec in the Mini Transat. Christophe Artaud is a bit unpredictable - he doesn't really sail conservatively and is a bit erractic which will count against him in the Solitaire. Marc Emig - I have been near him in most of the races. The hard one is Escoffier, especially for the Solitaire as he had done loads of long-distance solo racing.

"When I am racing here I don't have objectives to beat a particular person as I just want to sail my race, so I try not to be affected by the standings. I am quite happy with my overall performance so far, normally I gain places rather than lose them. So I keep my objectives focussed - tomorrow it is to get a good start...step by step you make improvements."

Tomorrow there will be two more windward-leeward off Hyeres.

Overall results

Pos	Boat	Skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Tot
1	CERCLE VERT	Gildas MORVAN	3	3	4	4	8	4	7	33
2	THALES	Erwan TABARLY	8	8	8	2	6	2	1	35
3	CREALINE	Armel LE CLEACH	1	1	22	6	1	8	2	41
4	DAVID OLIVIER	Eric DROUGLAZET	4	4	2	1	2	30	4	47
5	DELTA DORE	Jeremie BEYOU	2	5	20	3	3	16	3	52
6	AON	Laurent PELLECUER	17	2	12	7	15	6	8	67
7	3201 METEOCONSULT Groupe Prosodie	Gilles CHIORRI	14	9	18	9	9	10	5	74
8	BOSTIK FINDLEY	Charles CAUDRELIER BENAC	11	18	36	5	5	12	6	93
9	E. LECLERC Protégeons l'environnement	Sébastien AUDIGANE	12	6	10	10	7	42	9	96
10	GROUPE GENERALI ASSURANCES	Yann ELIES	5	7	44	8	4	28	10	106
11	ESPOIR CREDIT AGRICOLE	Gwenaël RIOU	9	12	12	16	10	38	19	116
12	PORT TREBEURDEN	Romain ATTANASIO	16	21	26	14	12	32	18	139
13	PETITS-PETONS / FTH THIRARD	Christophe ARTAUD**	18	16	40	18	18	24	11	145
14	VILLE DE CHERBOURG / MORY TEAM	Alexandre TOULORGE	15	10	54	12	14	18	24	147
15	CREPES WHAOU !	Franck-Yves ESCOFFIER**	7	13	52	21	20	20	17	150
16	Petit Navire Le Bon Goût du Large	Thierry CHABAGNY	21	15	34	11	11	46	16	154
17	Café MALONGO	Christopher PRATT**	6	33	34	13	16	40	13	155
18	Rêve de grand - ACTUAL Interim	Yves LE BLEVEC**	24	11	14	15	33	44	15	156
19	SORELEC MBD Design	Arnaud BOISSIERES	13	19	38	19	13	36	20	158
20	IN EXTREMIS	Marc EMIG**	23	25	28	20	19	34	12	161
21	Skipper ag2r	Jeanne GREGOIRE	19	23	20	24	17	50	23	176
22	ART IMMOBILIER CONSTRUCTION	Daniel DUPONT	22	17	46	17	22	48	21	193
23	BERMUDES	Marc THIERCELIN	10	20	58	33	33	14	22	195
24	M@RSEILLE ENTREPRISES	Jean Paul MOUREN	33	22	56	27	24	22	14	198
25	SKANDIA	Samantha DAVIES**	20	27	62	23	23	26	27	208
26	SOR TMC	Christophe BOUVET**	25	24	24	22	21	66	25	212
27	PLUS PHARMACIE	Stéphane SEVAUX**	28	30	32	28	27	66	26	237
28	SECTOR SPORT WATCHES	Corrado AGUSTA**	27	33	52	26	26	52	31	247
29	ALTAVENTURE / SNSM	Eric PILAT**	29	33	42	29	28	58	30	249
30	STERN groep	Sander BAKKER**	26	33	50	33	33	54	29	258
31	MONACO MARINE GROUP	Alberto SPINA	30	28	66	25	25	56	28	258
32	LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR	Lionel PEAN	33	33	66	33	33	56	33	297

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