Oman Sail come out on top

As Normandy Sailing Week concludes

With 100 boats, 700 competitors, four days of racing, some superb weather conditions, Normandy Sailing Week has chosen its winners.

In the Farr 30 class, Oman Sail Renaissance has won her class, the Omani team led by Rob Greenhalgh making a successful entrance onto the circuit. Comprising three British sailors, two Omanis and French sailor Cedric Pouligny, the crew has put up an impressive performance through speed and tactics, as they proved during yesterday’s coastal course. Today, in a 15 knot westerly the team won the first race of the day before returning to port, able to sit out the final race. Courrier Dunkerque, skippered by Pierre-Loic Berthet, came second overall just ahead of the Dutch crew on Tu Delft.

Cedric Pouligny commented: “During these four days of racing, we kept up the pressure throughout, particularly during the night race. During this we were both unlucky and lucky with the wind shifts. We knew we had to continue working flat out against our more experienced rivals. Our crew is very efficient. We have good speed on all points of sail and we’re motivated. The result speaks for itself. I think Oman Sail has surprised just about everyone that we must be in with a shot to win the Tour 2010!”

In the J/80s the crew of Ecole Navale – CG29 had a great run. After breaking in their steed on the first day, Patrick Bot and his crew developed well over the course of the regatta. The racing was intense, according to crewman Frédéric Hauville: “It was a great final day of sailing with one victory and a second place in some shifty wind… We came here to train and we’ve ended up winning Normandy Sailing Week! It’s also given me the chance to revisit my home town as I’m from Le Havre originally. It was a tough battle with Marine Cherbourg – DCNS and Vog. We enjoyed some great times on shore too, with two very nice evenings put together by the organisers.”

In IRC 1 the Swan 45 Wisc skippered by Glynn Williams, was battling with the J/133 i since Friday, and managed to gain the upper hand in the overall results. “The racing was superb” commented Williams “with a whole range of different wind conditions warmed by the sunshine. It was the first race of the season for us so it was a great way to get a feel for it again. The J/133 put up a strong performance, so congratulations to them. This racing in Normandy has been an opportunity for us to face up to some overseas teams, as most of our racing is done in the Solent. The next event for us now is the IRC Nationals in the UK.”

Despite scoring an OCS on the first day Marine Diffusion Dunkerque, came out on top in IRC 2. It proved to be a well deserved win for Philippe Bourgeois' crew, who have sailed in the North Sea and the Channel for many years. “Despite a few errors yesterday and today, we’ve ended up in first place," explained crewman Christian Gouteau. "There were four boats with their sights on victory so the racing was full-on all the way to the wire. Our crew has matured. We now have the ability to handle the difficult times, though we could still do with playing it a bit calmer onboard.”

The Farr 727 45° South skippered by Laurent Beaurin, a member of Le Havre’s Société des Régates, won IRC3 ahead of the Quarter Toner Pinguin Playboy and Casper, a Corby 28 from nearby Courseulles.

In the 6.50s it was the Mach 6.50 Nemo skippered by Manuel Guedon, that won ahead of another Magnen design, that of Yves Gouron. “It’s the first time we’ve done so well” said Guedon. “You really had to work hard to get an edge though. Our tactician Julien Texier was at the top of his game on the race zone, where it was necessary to play with the current.”

Finally, in the Laser SB3 class, John Outhwaite and his two crew stormed into the top spot on the final day, to win by 11 points over one of Le Havre’s finest, Manuelle Adam.

Manfred Ramspacher, organiser of the Normandy Sailing Week, commented: "The sailors have certainly been keen to race here at Normandy Sailing Week, which was previously run in Deauville. Furthermore, the high level of the competition on the water, the involvement of the local clubs in Le Havre, the Town of Le Havre itself and the Upper Normandy Sailing League has been immense. Added to this, the first Le Havre edition of this event has enjoyed perfect weather conditions which isn’t bad going for a company that specialises in organising sailing events. For Sirius, today is the culmination of three months of intense activity since Manfred Ramspacher and his team were also responsible for the recent Normandy Channel Race. The latter is an offshore race dedicated to Class 40s, taking the fleet across the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea, which saw the victory of Thomas Ruyant and Tanguy Leglatin this year. As such the region of Normandy in northern France has proven beyond all doubt that it has what it takes to play host to top level sailing events."

Results:

IRC1 Group (IR1) after 7 races (6 of which are retained)
1: "Wisc", Glynn Williams ( (Swan 45 / Grande-Bretagne) 12 points
2: "Jivaro", Alain Rouault ( (J 133 / Societe des Regates de Brest) 16 points
3: "Sealogis/karver", Francois Blossier ( (A 35 / C N D Honfleur) 20 points
4: "Gaia", Alexandre Mercier ( (Jnd 36 / Union Nationale Pour la Course Au Large) 23 points
5: "Dark & Steamy", Nick/annie Haigh ( (Dk 46 / Grande-Bretagne) 26 points
6: "Orange Mecanix", Maxime de Mareuil ( (X 41 / Societe des Regates du Havre) 29 points
7: "Emg-Happy Hours", Philippe Firmin ( (A 35 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 38 points
8: "Turquoises", Luc Langeoire ( (Dufour 40 Gte / Y C Rouen 76) 41 points
9: "Avalanche", Guillaume Lemoine ( (Mumm 36 / Union Nationale Pour la Course Au Large) 53 points
10: "Tradition Philosophie Iv", Nicolas Gaumont-Prat ( (First 40.7 Gte / Grande-Bretagne) 53 points
11: "Dedale", Jacques Ravon ( (Jod 35 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 68 points
12: "Meraki", Arnaud Guillet ( (Jod 35 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 75 points
---: "Didgeri-Two", Matthieu Lucet ( (A 35 / S R Caen Ouistreham) 84 points

IRC2 Group (IR2) after 7 races (6 of which are retained)
1: "Marine Diffusion Dunkerque", Philippe Bourgeois ( (First 34.7 Gte / Dunkerque Plaisance) 12 points
2: "Gwaihir Venturi", Philippe Rios ( (Dufour 34 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 14 points
3: "Foggy Dew", Ludovic Senechal ( (Jpk 10.10 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 15 points
4: "Parsifal", Didier Dardot ( (Sphinx 33 / Ste des Regates Rochelaises) 19 points
5: "Perseverance", Jean Luc/marie Herve ( (J 109 / Y C de St Briac) 27 points
6: "Adrenaline", Nicolas Lemarchand ( (Prism 28 / Societe des Regates du Havre) 40 points
7: "Yoalla 4", Yves Fouchet ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 42 points
8: "Ty God", Denis Vaudry ( (Bongo 870 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 43 points
9: "Exec Avenue", Thierry Mercier ( (Bavaria 35 Match Gte / S R de Dives Houlgate) 48 points
10: "Jam", Patrick Villette ( (J 92 S / C N Valeriquais) 55 points
---: "China Blue", Marc Noel ( (Sun Fast 3200 / Union Nationale Pour la Course Au Large) 72 points

IRC3 Group (IR3) after 7 races (6 of which are retained)
1: "45° South", Laurent Beaurin ( (Farr 727 / Societe des Regates du Havre) 13 points
2: "Pinguin Playboy", Pierre Paris ( (Quarter Tonner / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 18 points
3: "Casper", Vincent Delforge ( (Corby 26 / S R de Courseulles) 18 points
4: "Farrniente", Olivier Hays ( (Farr 727 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 20 points
5: "L'adjame", Jean Louis Chaix ( (Dufour 34 E / Societe des Regates du Havre) 34 points
6: "Carabin", Claude Weisang ( (First 31.7 / Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe) 34 points
7: "Bonobo", Marc Duboc ( (Surprise Q / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 34 points
8: "Fletcher Lynd", Frederic Denis ( (Hustler Sj 30 / Y C Boulonnais) 44 points
9: "Jolly Gaff", Loic Mevel ( (Sun Fast 32 Gte / Club Nautique Carantec) 44 points
10: "Jolly Jumper", Florent Bouillon ( (J 92 / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 44 points
11: "Lubrizol", Georges Soudry ( (Sun Fast 32 Gte / Centre Nautique Paul Vatine) 62 points
---: "Azimuts", Benoit Canneva ( (First 32 Gte / Union Nationale Pour la Course Au Large) 78 points

6.50 Group (6.5) after 10 races (9 of which are retained)
1: "Nemo", Manuel Guedon ( / Union Nationale Pour la Course Au Large) 9 points
2: "K.Ma 3", Yves Gouron ( / S N Trinite S/mer) 21 points
3: "Raoul Volfoni", Ronan Commault ( / Ecole de Voile Oceane) 21 points
4: "Krapo", Marc Raufie ( / Deauville Y C) 40 points
5: "Cci Pays D'auge Honfleur", Pierre Asselin ( / Y C de Granville) 46 points
6: "Oceane Girls-Lecarre", Marie Hercelin ( / Ecole de Voile Oceane) 49 points
7: "Agitation Perpetuelle", Jerome Cosse ( / S N Trinite S/mer) 69 points
8: "Kalvados", Marin Clausin ( / Deauville Y C) 72 points
9: "Artic Monkeys", Didier Steunou ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 74 points

FIRST 7.5 Group (7.5) after 7 races (6 of which are retained)
1: "J", Baptiste Touzard ( / Centre Nautique Paul Vatine) 8 points
2: "E", Antoine Laurent ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 18 points
3: "L", Pierre Viard ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 20 points
4: "H", Thomas Avenne ( / C V St Aubin les Elbeuf) 24 points
5: "Q", Guillaume Pirouelle ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 31 points
6: "I", Arthur Herreman ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 35 points
7: "D", Thomas Couppey ( / Centre Nautique Paul Vatine) 38 points
8: "C", Hugues Pirouelle ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 43 points
9: "B", Sophie Riot ( / C V Anneville S/seine) 43 points
10: "O", Yves le Guellec ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 45 points
11: "N", Caroline Chaumeil ( / Vie Au Grand Air de Saint Maur Voile) 64 points
12: "P", Baptiste Hemeryck ( / Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe) 67 points
13: "A", Jennifer Poret ( / Sport Nautique Et Plaisance du Havre) 74 points
14: "M", Quentin Arnaud ( / C V St Aubin les Elbeuf) 77 points
15: "G", Jean Christophe Bonnal ( / Ass. Sportive Voile Espar) 86 points
16: "K", Anne Charlotte le Gall ( / Centre Nautique Paul Vatine) 95 points

J80 Group (J80) after 10 races (9 of which are retained)
1: "Ecole Navale Cg29", Patrick Bot ( / C V Ecole Navale) 16 points
2: "Marine Cherbourg Dcns", Fabrice Simon ( / C N Marine de Cherbourg) 28 points
3: "Vog", Philippe Szellos ( / Deauville Y C) 29 points
4: "Paprec Bretagne", Sebastien Petithuguenin ( / A P C C Nantes) 39 points
5: "Deauville Yacht Club", Cyril Dussaux ( / Deauville Y C) 41 points
6: "Jaws", Marie Corson ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 41 points
7: "Marine Cherbourg-Utlagi", Gilbert Rizzolo ( / C N Marine de Cherbourg) 51 points
8: "Hydro le Havre", Victor Leblond ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 66 points
9: "Price Up", Matthieu Dolle ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 78 points
10: "Jules de Chez Smith En Face", Laurent Chauvin ( / Deauville Y C) 79 points
11: "Piscine En Seine", Amelie Lemaire ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 99 points
12: "Jiking", Nicolas Boulard ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 111 points
13: "F-E-I", Patrick Dormeau ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 115 points
14: "Jobar Boat", Francois Balogh ( / N Trouville Hennequeville) 120 points
15: "Defi Dijor", Philippe Genain ( / Deauville Y C) 120 points

LASER SB3 Group (SB3) after 10 races (9 of which are retained)
1: "Baloo's Zhik", John Outhwaite ( / Grande-Bretagne) 9 points
2: "Onyx Developpement", Manuelle Adam ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 20 points
3: "Morpheus", Edward Russo ( / C N Valeriquais) 24 points
4: "Puissance 4", David Bauquin ( / C N Valeriquais) 34 points
5: "Capucine", Florent Laroche Joubert ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 44 points

Farr 30 Group (FAR) after 12 races (11 of which are retained)
1: "Oman Sail Renaissance", Robert Greenhalgh ( / Oman) 36 points
2: "Courrier Dunkerque", Pierre Loic Berthet ( / A P C C Nantes) 47 points
3: "Tu Delft", Bert Schandevyl ( / Hollande) 50 points
4: "Tpm-Coych", Fabien Henry ( / Cercle Org Yachting Competition Hyerois) 54 points
5: "Ile de France 2010", Jimmy Pahun ( / S N Trinite S/mer) 61 points
6: "Team Sog-Safran", Julien/quentin Villion/ponroy ( / S N Trinite S/mer) 71 points
7: "Nouvelle Caledonie", Michel Cohen Addet ( / Yacht Club de la Grande Motte) 78 points
8: "Manche Basse Normandie", Benoit Charon ( / Y C de Granville) 85 points
9: "Csc Hec Ecole Navale", Herve Gautier ( / Porh Loeiz Skiff) 92 points
10: "Bred", Yann Rigal ( / France) 106 points
11: "Region de Bruxelles-Capitale", Laurent Declercq ( / Belgique) 114 points
12: "Purflo les Thermes Marins St Malo", Ronan Desert ( / S N Baie de St Malo) 115 points
13: "Groovederci", Deneen Demourkas ( / Etats Unis D'am) 121 points
14: "Mumma Duck", David Vanderberg ( / Hollande) 121 points
15: "Normale Sup - Lagardere", Eric Brezellec ( / Centre Nautique de St Cast) 135 points
16: "Rapetou", Alban Mesnil ( / Societe des Regates du Havre) 144 points
17: "Essec - Hanploi.Com", Damien Seguin ( / Sport Nautique de L'ouest Nantes) 171 points