France lead SNIM

A report from day two of the Melges 24 racing in Marseille

Walk down the famous Canebière Avenue, walk along the port on the left side, your eyes blinking in the shining eastern sun of Provence… Just after the very typical Marseilles Ferry Boat and before the floating HQ of the Societe Nautique, a strange crowd of sailors in red, yellow, blue with white salty faces is active in cleaning, repairing, transferring equipments and sails...

Today the Melges 24 class had four races: the wind blew in a quite constant northwest direction (320°) starting with an average 15 knots in the 1st race, and then constantly rising to 18 in the second, 21 in the third and about 25 in the fourth. in short, the organisers, SNIM, seems to have got control also of the wind and the sun! The only factor beyond their control was the sea state in the southern bay.

Joe Fly opened proceedings winning race 3. The team of Luca Santella was quite happy with their day: they have not trained since the Worlds in San Francisco and they are sailing their first regatta with new Kevlar sails and two new sailors in the crew (a bowman plus tactician and Star boat veteran, Vince Brun) but are already in the top ten. Their target for the season is once again the Worlds in Marstrand and they plan to sail every regatta in between including the US Nationals in Santa Cruz and several races in Italy as a preparation for this goal.

Sebastien Col and Partners & Partners repeated their excellent performance of yesterday, winning race 4 and 5. Race 5 - in spite of a strong wind - was very tactical due to the gusts. The crews held a cool head remained ahead.

Jamie Lea and Gill won race 6, (which was reduced in length) leading at the first buoy upwind and never losing their grip on the race after this. They showed again how comfortably they sail with strong wind. Jamie indicates they changed their settings just before the race and were quite happy about their choice.

Like often in these conditions, there were some shocks between the boats and some broken equipment. Badger (ex Muts Nuts) and Music 55 came back early to the harbour as did Idris, Tanit, Transtec and Lapin Lapin. But every competitor respected the 360deg rule, limiting the number of protests and confirms, as if it were needed, the sporting spirit within the class.

At this event there are some newcomers to the class including Bertrand Keller (french-swiss), André Borona (Marseilles), Bernard Reynier and Daniel Guidice (both former 505 sailors ).

But the best word of the day remains for Alina who - coming back to the dock - joked: "Can you please inform the jury that we are getting too old for that kind of 4-race- day with so much wind…." Alina being tonight 3rd at the general ranking. Maybe they are like French wine: the older they get, the better…

Results

Pos	Sail no	Name/skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot	Pnts
1	FRA 571	P&P/GAMELIN-SAILING TEAM	1	1	17	1	1	7	28	11
		LIGOT PHILIPPE
2	SUI 521	BLUE MOON	2	---	18	3	5	3	95	31
		FAVINI FLAVIO
3	ITA 409	ALINA	17	11	6	11	2	6	53	36
		ABBA MAURIZIO
4	ITA 550	JOE FLY	8	BFD	1	12	12	4	101	37
		GIOVANNI MASPERO
5	MON 429	SOGETI	21	2	3	14	3	16	59	38
		DESPRAT DAMIEN
6	FRA 375	MINNIE THE MOOCKER	9	4	2	10	15	14	54	39
		VAUDELET JEROME
7	ITA 438	ALTEA	5	9	14	13	10	2	53	39
		RACCHELLI ANDREA
8	FIN 236	SUUNTO	18	6	53	8	8	5	98	45
		THELEN KENNETH
9	FRA 472	DAUCY	13	3	25	4	14	12	71	46
		JOURDREN BRUNO
10	FRA 321	SCUTUM M.G.M	7	13	13	7	6	15	61	46
		DE KERVENOAEL CEDRIC
11	NOR 560	BAGHDAD	19	8	12	18	7	9	73	54
		NERGAARD KRISTIAN
12	NOR 506	LEK	3	16	16	9	---	11	119	55
		EIDE PETRUS
13	FRA 423	ZIG ZAG	10	BFD	9	6	9	22	120	56
		POULIGNY CEDRIC
14	FRA 422	LIROS NANTES ST NAZAIRE	12	5	32	16	11	20	96	64
		ARNAUD REMY
15	ITA 574	FIRE BOLT	28	18	23	5	13	13	100	72
		MARMNEZ ROBERTO
16	GER 582	NO WOMAN,NO CRY	6	---	8	26	18	17	139	75
		LANG PETER
17	GBR 431	GILL	---	---	10	2	4	1	145	81
		STRAUSS QUENTIN
18	FRA 461	EURO VOILES	26	19	21	15	20	8	109	83
		INFANTE DENIS
19	ITA 490	HAGAR	---	17	5	17	24	24	151	87
		GIORDO GIANNI
20	ITA 567	CONTE OF FLORENCE	24	7	4	28	27	---	154	90
		MAZZANTI ARTURO
21	GBR 484	TEAM BARBARIANS	14	10	36	24	25	19	128	92
		SIMPSON STUART
22	FRA 369	CELERANT CONSULTING	16	---	20	20	16	23	159	95
		AUBERT JEROME
23	FRA 387	DOUARN MAISON DE L AVENIR	20	20	22	19	19	29	129	100
		SAULEAU VINCENT
24	FRA 261	OPTIC 2000	22	---	19	36	17	10	168	104
		SUILARICH ETIENNE
25	ITA 572	CITTA DI CESENA	11	42	15	27	26	25	146	104
		EGIDIO BABBI
26	SUI 336	TRANSTEC 1	23	12	35	23	21	26	140	105
		WITTICH JURG
27	FRA 389	BIG SHIP	4	BFD	11	47	31	21	178	114
		PAUL MAXIME
28	FRA 470	COTE D ARMOR 1	30	23	26	22	51	34	186	135
		RENAULT SEBASTIEN
29	FRA 193	COTES D ARMOR 2	36	15	7	45	35	OCS	202	138
		TREUSSART ROMAN
30	FRA 170	GIVE ME FIVE	31	BFD	40	30	23	18	206	142
		FOLLIN ADRIEN
31	FRA 358	MAGIC SALSA	25	40	24	37	29	27	182	142
		MONNARD JEAN MARC
32	GBR 580	THE BADGER	37	27	27	29	30	---	214	150
		LOVEJOY PAUL
33	FRA 471	MÛ	DSQ	25	41	25	32	31	218	154
		NEBOUT EMMANUEL
34	NOR 366	SISTE STEIN	39	32	28	21	40	35	195	155
		KONGSHAUG ERIK
35	FRA 252	J'GAULO	32	28	33	35	42	28	198	156
		DOUCHY JEAN PAUL
36	FIN 316	HYDROLL	46	24	30	55	22	36	213	158
		NEOVIUS JOHAN
37	SWE 532	TEAM SBAB	27	31	37	38	39	50	222	172
		LINDELL JOHAN
38	GBR 368	THE DOG'S	34	34	---	39	28	39	238	174
		BROWN ALLEN
39	SWE 508	SITTING DUCK	40	22	44	42	36	37	221	177
		WALDNER ANDERS
40	GBR 527	CONFORTABLY NUMB	51	30	34	43	37	33	228	177
		DELLOW ANDREW
41	FRA 473	GYBE SET	45	26	42	32	34	44	223	178
		GELLEZ OLIVIER
42	FRA 430	BIJOU	33	35	39	33	47	41	228	181
		MINOS NICOLAS
43	FRA 392	BOCH'ANIC	43	37	31	40	38	38	227	184
		LE CALVEZ JEAN MARIE
44	SUI 382	TRANSTEC/AILE	38	14	38	34	---	---	252	188
		GOOD MICHAEL
45	ITA 413	MELG'HIC TAZ	15	---	29	44	---	40	256	192
		GIANLUCA GRISOLI
46	FRA 122	LAPIN-LAPIN	35	39	45	31	43	---	257	193
		SANS JEAN
47	FIN 253	SAMPO	41	38	51	41	41	32	244	193
		PERIMAA JAAKKO
48	GBR 403	ENVY	47	33	50	51	33	42	256	205
		ARGENT DEAN
49	FRA 317	DJINN	48	46	43	50	52	30	269	217
		LEGLATIN TANGUY
50	SUI 267	MAD COW	53	29	49	49	---	46	290	226
		VERHULST THIERRY
51	FRA 211	OVERONE	50	45	59	57	45	43	299	240
		LABOISSE ROMAIN
52	FRA 329	FLOR DIRECT	29	21	---	---	---	---	306	242
		ROIG ALAIN
53	FRA 254	MAD COW	54	BFD	47	48	46	47	306	242
		SAUVAGE PIERRE
54	FRA 503	VALE CRIN	42	36	56	---	---	45	307	243
		REYNIER BERNARD
55	FRA 212	USHIP	44	41	48	46	---	---	307	243
		BORONAT ANDRE
56	FRA 225	ENZO	55	44	52	52	48	---	315	251
		MARCHETTE ALEXANDRE
57	ESP 213	CIELO RACING	58	51	54	58	44	48	313	255
		SVEN LINDAHL
58	FRA 463	TA TOO MUCH	57	48	46	56	50	---	321	257
		CHAMAILLARD JACQUES
59	SUI 578	MUSIC 55	49	47	57	53	---	---	334	270
		HUBER RUE
60	GBR 190	IDRIS	56	43	55	54	---	---	336	272
		MACKIE JOHN
61	FRA 469	TANIT M 249	---	49	60	59	49	---	345	281
		GIUDICE DANIEL
62	SUI 530	ACQUA	59	52	58	---	---	49	346	282
		TRIBO MARCO
63	FRA 424	NOVA	52	50	---	---	---	---	358	294
		KELLER BERTRAND