Action packed day

Berthet and Peponnet lead K-Challenge's Mumm 30 Pro-Am series in Marseilles

Day one of the 2003 K-Challenge Pro-Am Cup competitors took place in strong winds of 15-20 knots, gusting up to 30 knots allowing the race committee to squeeze in four races.

The Theoule-Mandelieu team managed to save one of their crew, Xavier Macaire, who fell into overboard. "After getting the spinnaker down, the sheet went under the boat," said Macaire afterwards. "I was waiting for the right moment to get it back. At that time, I already warned my team that I was a little tired (sailing conditions were quite hard today), and when the boat met a wave that made it move, I fell out of the boat. I was trapped with my feet. I hit my head on the bow. Then I hit the keel with my back. My feet were trapped by the spinnaker in the water… Of course I swallowed a lot of salt water. I raised my arm out of the water and on the second time Sylvain Chtounder managed to haul me out while an other crew jumped into the water to help me."

Macaire stayed on the boat for the fourth race : "this is clear that now I have a complete different vision of this boat and of life. I absolutely have no idea how long I spent in the water… "

For the other teams, the day was a little less dangerous. Armel Le Cleach’ on Elvstrom, who was invited this year following his win in the Solitaire du Figaro, is enjoying the level of the competition: "we sailed four good races and we are progressing very well for a team that never sailed together before. It is very different from the Figaro and the Mumm 30 is a very nice boat to sail. The level of top five boats is excellent. On our side we don’t really have a goal regarding our placing - we want to be as regular as possible, and we are sure this is what will give us the best result".

Thierry Peponnet, at helm on K-Challenge 1, got off to a good start in defending his title taking bullets in the first two races. John Cutler also sailed well on K-Challenge 2 with his new team including French 470 Olympian Nicolas Charbonnier on tactics. Cutler was happy about his 'student', despite being eliminated in the last race: they, like Marseille-Cap Sport, were black flagged.

Provisionnal general placing before protest
2003 PRO-AM Group after 4 races (23 teams)
Competitors Points r.1 r.2 r.3 r.4
1 EPURE BY LIERAC BERTHET PIERRE LOIC 11.00 7 2 1 1
2 K-CHALLENGE 1 PEPONNET THIERRY 11.00 1 1 2 7
3 CHACAL PALLU ALEXANDRE 25.00 3 3 5 14
4 ELVSTROM LE CLEACH ARMEL 25.00 5 9 7 4
5 K-CHALLENGE 2 CUTLER JOHN 33.00 2 4 3 bfd
6 VILLE DE BANDOL CHEVALIER JEAN-FRANCOIS 33.00 11 8 6 8
7 REGION ILE DE FRANCE PAUCHET NICOLAS 35.00 14 14 4 3
8 TOULON-PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE HENRI FABIEN 35.00 9 5 11 10
9 THEOULE MANDELIEU CHTOUNDER SYLVAIN 40.00 4 6 - 6
10 COTE D’ARMOR BIARNES VINCENT 42.00 8 13 9 12
11 ORLOFF-NANTES SAINT-NAZAIRE SAMBRON LAURENT 44.00 16 10 16 2
12 MARSEILLE CAP SPORT DERUELLE DIMITRI 45.00 6 7 8 bfd
13 KEEP COOL BAULER CLAUDE 48.00 17 12 10 9
14 TRIGA 5 PECLARD CHRISTOPHE 53.00 15 15 18 5
15 DEFI JEAN BART PATOU CHRISTOPHE 59.00 12 18 13 16
16 VILLE DE DOUARNENEZ-ARMOR LUX LE GARREC LOIC 63.00 13 - 15 11
17 ENTR’ACTE-LES COPAINS A BORD PORTUGAL VINCENT 65.00 21 17 12 15
18 DINARD BASSET ERIC 67.00 19 11 17 20
19 ISR 1 MOTSHTAIN URI 69.00 22 16 14 17
20 BIENNE VOILE MULLER LORENZ 70.00 18 19 20 13
21 AEOLUS DALMOLEN BERT 79.00 10 21 - -
22 T-SERVICE INTERIM BRUXELLES PILATE JULIEN 80.00 23 20 19 18
23 SILICON THEATRE SCENERY PRONK ROBERT 82.00 20 22 21 19