Heading for Horta

Adrian Hardly leads the 69 strong Mini fleet away at the start of the Les Sables-Azores-Les Sables race

The start for this first Mini race from Les Sables d'Olonne to the Azores was on time (at 1.02 pm Local time) allowing the 69 solo sailors to benefit from a little southeesterly breeze of 8-12 knots and a long swell. Only one thong was missing … the sun!

To reach the start the Minis were towed out of the long channel from Les Sables d’Olonne harbour, in torrential rain, but this did not prevent the enthusiast spectators from coming out large numbers to encourage the 62 men and 7 women, on the way to the start of the 1,300 nm first leg to Faial. By the time of the start the rain had stopped and boat bunched at the Committee Boat end of the line allowing them to reach the windward buoy without tacking. After the gun the early leader was Adrien Hardy on Brossard but the chasing pack includes Didier Le Vourch ( Vecteur Plus), Portuguese salior Francisco Lobato ( BPI) on the first series boat and Isabelle Magois on Voilerie Quantum…

After this upwind leg, the competitors had a reach towards the buoy anchored in front of the sea wall off Les Sables d’Olonne, a leg of 1.5nm. The wind at this point had started to turn slowly northwest and the gaps were increasing between the leaders (Hardy, Le Vourch, Lobato). With 70 boats being sailed singlehanded the weather rounding was exciting for the mid-fleet but there was no contact and of the starters only Stephan Bonvin ( Marcel For Ever) had to go back to the harbour to fix his steering system: He finally returned to the start line at 3.00 pm.



The most motivated of the crew had already prepared their spinnakers for the broad reach towards the one last buoy anchored two and a half miles away to the south of Les Sables d’Olonne. Adrien Hardy, still leading made the break when Didier Le Vourch experienced some trouble hoisting his kite. Brossard rounded the last mark of this preliminary course at least half a mile ahead followed in impressive style by Francisco Lobato sailing a Pogo 2! Slovenian skipper, Andraz Mihelin ( Adria Mobil) followed closely, along with David Sineau ( Bretagne Lapins), the American Clay Burkhalter ( Acadia), Raoul Cospen ( 1000bateaux.com) and Didier Le Vourc’h ( Vecteur Plus)…

After three quarters of an hour and 6 miles of sailing, the leaders then hardened up to head WNW in 12 knots, the sun finally putting in an appearance. Indeed, the wind should shift to the northwest which should allow the fleet to point directly to the Azores. The first night should be relatively quiet but the serious game will start on Monday at the end of the afternoon, as a low pressure is forecast to generate southwesterly winds of 20-25 knots, maybe more.

In general the start of this first edition of the Les Sables-The Azores-Les Sables race, godmothered by Isabelle Autissier who fired the start gun was good, and the Mayor of Les Sables d’Olonne, Louis Guédon, was pleased along with the representative from the Azores who had come to see the start. Meanwhile the 69 solo sailors just have to cross the Biscay Bay and the Azores High Pressure to reach Horta...

Last buoy of the preliminary course – Cayola (Protos)  :
1-Adrien Hardy (Brossard)
2-Andraz Mihelin (Adria Mobil Too)
3-David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins)
4-Clay Burkhalter (Acadia)
5-Raoul Cospen (1000bateaux.com)

Ranking at the last buoy of the preliminary course – Cayola (Series)  :
1-Francisco Lobato (BPI)
2-Isabelle Magois (Voilerie Quantum)
3-Sébastien Marsset (Raisonances)
4-Mathieu Viu (Godevin)
5-Bertrand Castelnérac (Alan France)

More photos on the following pages....