Gearing up for the Med

Mumm 30 crews put their boats together in St Cyprien

The Tour de France à la Voile fleet has arrived in Saint-Cyprien (near Perpignan), where the competitors will start the third and last part of the course tomorrow in the Mediterranean. The 31 teams made the most of this non-racing day to repair or clean their Mumm 30s before launching them again for three offshore and nine inshore races making up the Mediterranean section of the Tour Voile, finishing in Hyères.

At 14.00 today, 16 boats were moored in the marina of Saint Cyprien, five were waiting to have their masts stepped and the last 10 boats were on their trailers, still out of the water. Since yesterday, the crews have been checking, repairing, sanding, cleaning their Mumm 30s to have them ready for the Med. The equipment did not suffer much in the Atlantic legs, but this small refit is more than welcome at this stage of the race, because the results remain close and everyone wants to have the best preparation possible to make the difference.

With Nine days to go, there are many potential winners, but some of them will have an advantage of local knowledge:. Defi Partage Marseille and Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coychyeres are 'at home' in the Mediterranean. The course will stop in their home port, Marseille on 23-24 July and Hyères on 27-29 July. The issue is big: Toulon Provence Mediterranee Coychyeres, who won the race last year and is now seventh overall, will have to avoid the mistakes if they want to reach the podium, and Defi Partage Marseille, who is leading the scoreboard by just under 10 points, will have to fight hard against the other competitors if they want to keep the 1st step they have been dreaming of for the last two years.

The team to watch will be the Italians of Joe Fly Sailing Team. Third overall, 16 points behind Ile de France, Giovanni Maspero and his team are not really from the Mediterranean (they are based in Lake Como, near Milan) but they feel comfortable about the next races. "We are used to the heat and the light wind," said their manager, Federico Michetti. "We finished 7th in the 2003 TFV, but it was our first time and we were a bit disapointed. Now we know what to expect and we want to make it to the podium".

According to Meteo France Weather forecast, the fleet should race in a moderate northerly to easterly wind tomorrow in Saint-Cyprien. Then the breeze will increase to 20 knots with gusts up to 30-35 knots for the offshore leg to Marseille on Saturday and Sunday.