Black flags in Dieppe

Two inshore races completed in Tour Voile, fleet head off to Cherbourg today

Under a welcome sun the 30 competitors left port at Dieppe yesterday morning to contend the 2 legs proposed for that day. Conditions were considerably more pleasant than in previous days with a medium southerly boosting proceedings.

The start of the first leg was cancelled immediately due to a general recall which was followed by a second procedure with a black flag. This saw the disqualification of Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych and Dieppe Seine Maritime, who weren’t able to race and had to wait for the following one.

Region Ile de France rounded all the marks in the lead and followed through right to the end to take ultimate victory. Behind them Jimmy Pahun and his crew succeeded in pushing out the two race favourites: Bouygues Telecom and Groovederci.

The two Swiss crews in the fleet, Bienne Voile and the young sailors from the training centre there battled hard with Ville de Geneve Carrefour Revention, finishing in 4th and 6th respectively, leaving yesterday’s leg winner Theoule Mandelieu sandwiched between them.

Another black flag proved necessary for the start of the second course of the day and Nantes St Nazaire, Defi Jean Bart and Delft Challenge Tu Delft were required to return to port.

At the first ranking, the Mediterranean sailors from Hyère on Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych, doubtless annoyed by their earlier disqualification in the first leg, set the pace ahead of their colleagues from Defi Partage.

Clearly on a flyer yesterday, Bienne Voile were positioned 3rd ahead of the Nantes sailors on Bouygues Telecom and the other Swiss crew on Ville de Geneve Carrefour Prevention. At the last race ranking prior to the last tack to the finish, Ville de Geneve Carrefour Prevention took and held the lead right up to the finish ahead of Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych.

Bouygues Telecom and Groovederci never far off the top spot, were 3rd and 4th. A faithful of the Tour de France à la Voile, Tepacap also deserves a mention after a great performance yesterday as an amateur project whose goal is the integration into sport of young people in difficulty.

Two very fine legs then that proved a lively topic of conversation amongst many of those invited to a meal proposed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dieppe yesterday evening.

Today’s departure for Cherbourg for a simple pitstop, is at 0800 GMT. The boats will leave the quayside at 0715 GMT for 107 miles of racing.