Groovederci into the lead

After offshore race to La Rochelle in Tour de France a la Voile

Aboard Defi Partage Marseille the champagne was cracked open last night in the Port des Minimes. The delighted Mediterranean crew had just taken victory in the Vendée-Charente Maritime leg of the Tour Voile.

Skipper Dimitri Deruelle and navigator Maxime Paul pulled it off after a good upwind leg at the start, taking them to second behind Cotes D’Armor. “It was all decided at the start, then we just had to pass the lead boat which we managed thanks to having good speed,” Deruelle commented.

At the inshore mark off Port Bourgenay, prior to the home straight to île de Ré, Groovederci and Theoule Mandelieu, the two overall leaders passed ahead of Toulon
Provence Mediterranee Coych and were each forced to drop their spinnakers to carry
out a 360° penalty. At that point, Bouygues Telecom and Region Ile de France were 19th and 24th respectively.

Two options then emerged off Pertuis Breton, between île de Ré and the coast. One group of boats led by Groovederci, headed inshore, while others headed offshore. Some boats from the latter group offshore then realised that the former option was the better one and decided to cross back over. This was the case for Port de Commerce La Rochelle Estudines.Com. Pierre-François Lepoutre later congratulating himself on what proved to be a good tactical move. “At that point, we were prepared to drop a few places but we didn’t do too much damage in the end. We really did well getting back with the leading group, then the faster boats got past us on pure speed.”

Conversely Region Ile de France and Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych took the same option but regretted finishing 10th and 14th respectively maintaining fifth and sixth place overall.

Overall leader Defi Partage Marseille took 4th, while Groovederci and Theoule Mandelieu, still seem to be joined at the hip and confirmed their excellent potential by finishing second and third, relegating the amateurs from Cotes D’Armor, nonetheless satisfied with their regatta, crossing the finish line in 4th place.

Bouygues Telecom made a great comeback, helped by the quality of their
manoeuvres and their speed under spinnaker to finish fifth.

Californian boat owner, helm and skipper of Groovederci, Deneen Demourkas, was savouring the performance of her crew. “At the inshore mark our spinnaker touched Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coych slightly and we preferred to do a penalty turn rather than risk a protest. The race was still a long one! I helmed as far as the bridge over to the île de Ré, before handing the helm to Bouwe Bekking. We got off well, but our speed is our real asset! I love this race. Even though I’m fairly tired, I don’t want it to
end. I really loved the Channel and the Atlantic. I hope I will enjoy the Mediterranean just as much.”

Among the other results, Ville Du Port Bred La Reunion got a superb sixth place in the leg but Ville de Geneve Carrefour Prevention maintains its slight lead on Dieppe Seine Maritime in accumulated time.

With the student Defi Sclerose en Plaques-Leonard de Vinci finishes seventh but the leader's spinnaker remains in the hands of Defi Grandes Ecoles Total Insa.

A bit of contention to close this fine leg though. The Race Committee is protesting Bouygues Telecom who sailed at night without their navigation lights switched on. The jury gave them a two point penalty.

Perpignan Mediterranee protested against Belvedere - Force EDC & Les Copains A
Bord over a port-starboard incident at a passage mark in the leg. The penalty incurred by the latter was 60% of the leg result.

The boats moored in the basin with the large yachts, will leave the old port
tomorrow morning at 06h00. They must be ready at the Port des Minimes for the
three inshore courses tomorrow. The first start will be given at 10h30.

Order of finish for Race N°14, of the leg rallying Port Bourgenay Talmont St
Hilaire and La Rochelle.
1 DEFI PARTAGE - MARSEILLE
2 GROOVEDERCI
3 THEOULE MANDELIEU
4 COTES D’ARMOR
5 BOUYGUES TELECOM with protest flag
6 VILLE DU PORT BRED LA REUNION
7 DEFI SCLEROSE EN PLAQUES - LEONARD DE VINCI
8 BELVEDERE - FORCE EDC & LES COPAINS A BORD
9 DOUARNENEZ – VOILE MAGAZINE
10 TOULON PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE COYCH
11 BREST GRANDES ECOLES ENSIETA ENST-BRETAGNE
12 DEFI GRANDES ECOLES TOTAL INSA
13 VILLE DE GENEVE CARREFOUR PREVENTION
14 REGION ILE DE France
15 PORT DE COMMERCE LA ROCHELLE ESTUDINES.COM
16 DIEPPE SEINE MARITIME
17 CSC – ESSEC
18 ESPOIRS AQUITAINS
19 DEFI DONG DU SANG ALLIBERT HEC-ESC GRENOBLE-X
20 DEFI JEAN BART
21 ALFA LAVAL
22 PERPIGNAN MEDITERRANEE brought protest against BELVEDERE FORCE EDC & LES
COPAINS A BORD.
23 NANTES SAINT NAZAIRE
24 MARSEILLE UNIVERSITES VILLE DE BANDOL
25 DELFT CHALLENGE TU DELFT
26 BIENNE-VOILE
27 PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN
28 TEPACAP
29 T SERVICE INTERIM REGION DE BRUXELLES CAPITALE
30 EIGSI LA ROCHELLE CHARENTE-MARITIME

General Ranking after Race N°14 minus a leg after the jury
1 GROOVEDERCI 613,5
2 THEOULE MANDELIEU 593
3 BOUYGUES TELECOM 582
4 DEFI PARTAGE MARSEILLE 574,5
5 REGION ILE DE France 560,5
6 TOULON PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE COYCH 549,5
7 VILLE DE GENEVE CARREFOUR PREVENTION 525,5
8 DIEPPE SEINE MARITIME 508,5
9 CSC ESSEC 472,5
10 COTES D'ARMOR 440
11 BELVEDERE FORCE EDC LES COPAINS A BORD 429,5
12 DEFI GRANDES ECOLES TOTAL INSA 414,5
13 VILLE DU PORT BRED ILE DE LA REUNION 407
14 DEFI SCLEROSE EN PLAQUES 389,5
15 PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN 371,5
16 PORT DE COMMERCE LA ROCHELLE ESTUDINES.COM 361,5
17 PERPIGNAN MEDITERRANEE 360,5
18 DOUARNENEZ VOILE MAGAZINE 355
19 DEFI DON DU SANG ALLIBERT- HEC-ESC GRENOBLE-X 352,5
20 ESPOIRS AQUITAINS 336,5
21 NANTES SAINT NAZAIRE 335
22 BREST GRANDES ECOLES ENSIETA ENST BRETAGNE 331
23 BIENNE VOILE 303
24 ALFA LAVAL 299
25 TEPACAP 270,5
26 MARSEILLE UNIVERSITES VILLE DE BANDOL 259
27 EIGSI CHARENTE MARITIME 249,5
28 DEFI JEAN BART 239,5
29 T SERVICE INTERIM REGION DE BRUXELLES CAPITALE 235
30 DELFT CHALLENGE 225,5

Top 3 from amateurs
1 VILLE DE GENEVE CARREFOUR PREVENTION 271,5
2 DIEPPE SEINE MARITIME 265,5
3 CSC ESSEC 261,5

Top three students
1 DEFI TOTAL GRANDES ECOLES INSA 249,5
2 DEFI DON DU SANG ALLIBERT HEC ESC GRENOBLE X 230,5
3 PORT DE COMMERCE LA ROCHELLE ESTUDINES.COM 228

Challenge AGF Ranking
1 DEFI PARTAGE MARSEILLE 600
2 GROOVEDERCI 560
3 REGION ILE DE France 490