International line for team racing classic

Maguelonne Turcat looks at the form for the Yacht Club de France's Coupe de France for Melges, Mumm 30 and Dragon teams

Last year, thanks to the talented team Ile de France - SR Douarnenez team (Pahun, Jourdain, Pavant) it was France who won the 53th edition of the Yacht Club de France's Coupe de France just ahead the three boat Monaco and Norwegian teams, following the British win by Bill Whitehouse-Vaux.

The competition over who will succeed them this year is hot as skippers from 11 different nations line up to win a Cup whose prestigious history has been marked by such great names of the yachting world as Philippe de Rothschild or Virginie Heriot.

Among the top racers taking part come the event's start on 19 March in Saint-Tropez will be teams from 10 countries: Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Monaco, Holland, Sweden and Switzeland.

In the Mumm 30, Marc Pajot (Flying Dutchman Olympic medallist, winner of the Route du Rhum, America’s Cup skipper), will once again team up with Louis Heckly on board Belvédère et les Copains à Bord. The international crew crews include Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine, with Kiwi former illbruck sailor Ray Davies as tactician. The Mean Machine’s team just distinguished itself on a Farr 40 by winning Key West Race Week and the SORC in Florida.

Aboard Dangerous but Fun, Italian Gianluca Perris has rounded up a team whose hard core is composed of crew from the Mascalzone Latino America’s Cup team. Lots of regular customers of the Tour Voile will also take part such as Coych, skipped by Pierre Laurent Garnero with French match racing champion Tugdwal Pecny at the helm and Bernard Mallaret (TFV, Route du Rhum, skipper in 2003 of Mumm Cap Sport) on main, Defi Partagé skipped by Thierry Bouchard partnering with sailmaker Paul Maxime of Bienne Voile to the Swiss team led by Thomas Struder and Ville de Genève Carrefour skipped by Julien Di Biase with the team of the Centrede Formation à la Course au Large de Genève. Also to be watched is Region Ile de France, who sailed in the winning team last year this year for the first time skippered by Nicolas Pauchet flying the colors of the Marine Nationale: "The crew has been training since September and their cohesion is excellent," said Pauchet. "It's our third race this season. We shall be there to show that we can compete at the highest level in the colors of the Navy and that we deserve our rank."

In the Melges 24, Tanguy Cariou, (America’s Cup, Défi Areva, World Champion and Olympic 470 sailor, winner of Tour de France à la Voile 2001) will sail under the colours of the Yacht Club de Monaco with part of the crew that came second in the Worlds in 2002. Aboard Euro Voiles, Christophe Barrue will be partnering with Denis Infante, present Melges 24 class president, and on the water will be up against with the exiting president, Henri Samuel, member of the Yacht Club de France, and a regular competitor at the helm of his Zig Zag.

The defending crew from the Yacht Club de France will be led by Cédric Pouligny (Melges 24 European Champion). Some equal talent is to be found in the foreign teams with Vamp of the German skipper Alba Batzill, a regular winner in the class along with Gill of British skipper Quentin Strauss. Of note will be the participation of Nicolas Novara (double Europe Champion in the 420 and a member of the French 2002 Champion Team in the J/80) as tactician siding with Thibaut Garnotel on board Hallucination, the Melges 24 recently acquired by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.

In the Dragons, the race is a prelude to the 75th anniversary celebration for this classic keelboat which will take place in the Golfe du St Tropez in October. Julien Desmet, former President of the association will be sailing at the helm of his brand new Tara, and is in charge of the organisation of the anniversary regatta. He is assisted by 16 year old Laser sailor Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, as tactician. The Yacht Club de France shall be represented by Ulysse belonging to Jean Breger, a familiar podium figure a regular competitor both in France and overseas. The pace boat in the fleet is likely to be Pistou, of George Nicholson of the famous Camper & Nicholson dynasty. She will be steered by Jean-Sébastien Ponce (Tour de France à la Voile winner, French Mumm 30 and Melges Champion), but equal competition is expected from Tsuica of Gérard Blanc (Olympic 470), Tamm Ha Tamm with Christian Boillot (French Laser champion) or Mystery of Hervé Montenay. Among the overseas competition will be Spanish skipper Enric Carreras with Juan Costa (Olympic Soling and Star sailor) at the helm of Tico.


The schedule

All the races shall be organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.

Wednesday 17, Thursday 18
9h – 18h Welcome and announcement by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez

Firday 19, Saturday 20, Sunday 21
11h Banana course in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez

- One round for the Dragon (length of the upwind leg : 1.3 NM, two laps)
- One round for the Mumm and the Melges (length of the upwind leg : 1.5 NM, three laps). Each round will last around one hour and a half.
- According to wind conditions three races per day are expected for all series.
- Starting limit hour for the last round on Sunday March 21: 1530

Ashore:
Thursday 18
1930 Welcome Cocktail by the City of Saint-Tropez (by invitation)
Saturday 20
2000 Cocktail-Buffet du Yacht Club de France (by invitation)
Sunday 21
1700 Prize giving of the Coupe de France du Yacht Club de France (by invitation)

Competitors

1 – Yacht Club de Monaco 1 : Gianluca Perris – Ita , (Dangerous but fun Mumm), Benjamin Cohen - Fra (Sogeti Melges), Christian Boillot - Fra (Tamm ha Tamm Dragon)

2 – Marine Nationale : Nicolas Pauchet - Fra (Ile de France Mumm), Jean-Paul Douchy – Fra (J'gaulo Melges), Didier Cuny - Fra (Gwaien Dragon)

3 – Suisse Allemand : Thomas Studer - Sui (Bienne Voile Mumm), Alba Batzill - All (Vamp Melges), Michael Schatten - All (CHI Dragon)

4 – Toulon Provence Méditerranée : Pierre-Laurent Garnero - Fra (Magy Mumm), Christophe Barrue - Fra (Euro Voiles Melges), Gérard Blanc - Fra (Tsuica Dragon)

5 – Team 5 : (Mumm), Quentin Strauss - UK (Gill Melges), Don O'Donoghue (Martin Payne) - Irl (Sea Bird Dragon)

6 – Yacht Club de France : Thierry Bouchard - Fra (Maxime Paul) (Défi Partagé Mumm), Henri Samuel - Fra (Zig Zag Melges), Jean Breger – Fra (Ulysse Dragon)

7 – Yacht Club de Monaco 2 : Peter de Ridder – Holl (Mean Machine, Mumm), Tanguy Cariou – Fra (Flor Direct Melges), Arnold Tas - Holl (Mean Machine Dragon)

8 – Ville de Saint-Tropez : Jean-Albert Gabriel - Fra (Bred Reunion Mumm), Thibaut Garnotel – Fra (Hallucination Melges), Julien Desmet - Fra (Tara Dragon)

9 – Voiles sans frontières : Julien Di Biase - Sui (Ville de Genève Carrefour Mumm), Gilles Guyon - Fra (Nova Melges), Jean-Sébastien Ponce - Fra (Pistou Dragon)

10 – Team 10 : Vincent Portugal – Fra (Belvedere et les Copains à bord Mumm), Silvio Santoni - Ita (Devotissimo Melges), Enric Carreras - Esp (Tico Dragon)

11 – Team 11 : Fezi Khaleghi Yazdi - Holl (Triple P Mumm), Hervé Montenay - Fra (Mystery Dragon)