60ft tris venture offshore again

Following the start of the fully crewed Challenge Mondial Assistance from Cherbourg to Rimini

The second edition of the Challenge Mondial Assistance set off as planned at 1400 GMT today, 11 May. Conditions were miserable - overcast and grey blowing at 15-20 knots from the south southwest.

The 12 60ft trimarans (see the breakdown of the entries here) crossed the line between two French navy vessels on port tack with Lalou Roucayrol's Banque Populaire making the best start, followed by Michel Desjoyeaux' Géant and Bayer Cropscience skippered now by old hand Jean Maurel.

Following the disaster with his mast foot last weekend Foncia skipper Alain Gautier, who won this race two years ago, was relieved to have made it but had sworn to play it safe. "A week ago, we weren’t being so smart with our mast cut in two."

Foncia was one of four boat including Franck Cammas' Groupama, Jean-Luc Nélias' Belgacom and Karine Fauconnier' Sergio Tacchini to set off under reduced sail, hoisting a staysail rather than a solent. Stève Ravussin on Banque Covefi chose a solent and one reef in his mainsail.

Soon after the start a squall passing overhead had the effect of reducing the wind. 30 minutes into the race and at the end of the 7 mile coastal race, it was Jean-Luc Nélias' Belgacom who was leading ahead of Bayer, Banque Populaire, Groupama and Sodebo.

The first night at sea promises to be an interesting one for the navigator. "We have drawn the family of weak winds rather than the strong ones," observed Yves Parlier, who is the man in charge of the chart table on board Banque Populaire. "It’s going to be rather complicated, at least as far as Finisterre."

Ahead the course is 2,734 miles long and will take the boats around Ushant, past Cape Finistere, through the Straits of Gibraltar and round the bottom of Italy before they reach the finish in Rimini (Italy) on 19-23 May.