Through the front

A trimaran match race to the line, Sill covers while Sharp consolidates in the Route du Rhum

Tuesday November 7th 2006, Author: James Boyd, Location: Transoceanic
Images courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems
 
Positions at 0800GMT
 
Pos
Boat Skipper
Lat
Long
Spd
Crs
Spd
Crs
Spd
Dist
DTF
DTL
Inst
4hr av
24 hr
ORMA 60 tris
1
Gitana 11 Lionel Lemonchois
7j 17h 19m 6s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.0
 
2
Banque Populaire Pascal Bidegorry
8j 4h 25m 7s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.0
 
3
Sodeb'O Thomas Coville
8j 13h 39m 2s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.0
 
4
Géant Michel Desjoyeaux
8j 13h 48m 24s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.0
 
5
Groupama 2 Franck Cammas
16 12.12' N
61 30.90' W
6.3
26
4.0
55.0
14.9
357.1
-4.4
0.0
6
Brossard Yvan Bourgnon
16 27.28' N
61 55.28' W
14.3
183
11.8
284.0
14.2
341.5
55.1
59.5
7
Foncia Alain Gautier
19 20.68' N
57 40.64' W
8.2
250
16.8
216.0
13.8
331.6
336.8
341.2
8
Region Guadeloupe-Terres de Passions Claude Thelier
24 31.26' N
49 27.06' W
6.0
306
7.1
310.0
5.5
131.8
895.7
900.1
9
Gitana 12 Thierry Duprey du Vorsent
24 26.24' N
48 55.12' W
1.0
303
5.1
234.0
8.5
204.6
919.2
923.7
10
Sopra Group Antoine Koch
31 05.60' N
51 08.96' W
16.4
238
15.5
238.0
8.1
194.1
1107.2
1111.6
11
Madinina Gilles Lamire
37 58.48' N
34 00.16' W
21.0
272
14.9
277.0
6.9
165.6
2004.9
2009.4
NL
Orange Project Steve Ravussin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Open 60s
1
Sill et Veolia Roland Jourdain
30 39.60' N
50 38.60' W
17.3
242
14.1
245.0
8.5
203.6
1101.5
0.0
2
VM Matériaux Jean Le Cam
33 14.76' N
51 49.72' W
15.4
241
16.1
234.0
10.2
245.6
1189.4
87.9
3
Virbac-Paprec Jean-Pierre Dick
33 26.24' N
51 13.60' W
15.0
231
15.4
234.0
8.8
212.2
1221.5
119.9
4
Temenos II Dominique Wavre
31 11.08' N
47 26.76' W
13.2
306
8.4
264.0
9.6
229.3
1234.5
133.0
5
Brit Air Armel Le Cléac'h
34 49.68' N
50 13.84' W
12.0
214
14.3
223.0
14.3
343.5
1318.5
217.0
6
Artemis Brian Thompson
31 36.12' N
45 29.10' W
8.0
342
9.3
252.0
9.6
230.8
1327.1
225.5
7
Roxy Anne Liardet
30 31.16' N
40 46.84' W
11.0
239
10.7
239.0
9.3
222.1
1473.4
371.9
8
Safran Marc Guillemot
32 39.52' N
39 32.16' W
18.4
198
11.1
240.0
8.1
193.7
1601.9
500.4
9
Maisonneuve Basse Normandie JB Dejeanty
32 57.12' N
36 36.84' W
9.3
261
8.0
249.0
6.8
163.1
1726.0
624.5
10
Adriana Karembeu Paris Philippe Fiston
36 49.84' N
30 14.44' W
9.8
233
8.4
230.0
3.9
92.4
2123.8
1022.3
ABD
Delta Dore Jeremy Beyou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABD
PRB Vincent Riou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Multis class 2
1
Crêpes Whaou ! Franck-Yves Escoffier
31 02.24' N
53 05.44' W
12.1
240
13.3
240.0
9.8
236.3
1049.6
0.0
2
Trilogic Eric Bruneel
31 02.12' N
44 32.48' W
6.1
251
6.4
263.0
9.6
229.6
1339.0
289.4
3
Laiterie de Saint-Malo Victorien Erussard
31 15.88' N
39 48.88' W
12.1
272
10.9
263.0
8.0
193.1
1545.1
495.4
4
Jean Stalaven Pascal Quintin
36 39.12' N
40 09.16' W
8.0
257
8.6
248.0
8.5
204.1
1719.9
670.2
5
Gifi Dominique Demachy
36 30.16' N
36 30.40' W
9.2
255
9.2
256.0
5.7
136.6
1856.2
806.5
6
Deleage & DIAZO Loic Escofier
40 49.08' N
39 54.00' W
13.0
256
10.5
261.0
6.5
156.1
1903.8
854.2
7
Négocéane Roger Langevin
35 42.75' N
34 25.87' W
9.7
242
10.0
241.0
4.9
118.4
1914.4
864.8
ABD
Le Bon Marche - Rive Gauche Anne Caseneuve
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Multis class 3
1
Ideal Stelrad Ross Hobson
38 52.84' N
39 00.80' W
5.1
233
3.5
237.0
7.5
179.7
1852.6
0.0
2
Imagine-Institut des Maladies Génétiques Pierre Antoine
37 08.68' N
36 05.40' W
10.1
255
9.4
250.0
5.1
121.8
1895.0
42.4
ABD
Switch.fr Charlie Capelle
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monos class 1
1
Jeunes Dirigeants Pierre-Yves Guennec
36 34.64' N
29 38.36' W
7.3
255
7.9
254.0
3.8
91.6
2142.5
0.0
2
Ville de Dinard Bruno Reibel
38 34.08' N
29 04.80' W
7.0
237
6.2
239.0
4.1
99.6
2221.6
79.1
3
Antilles-Sails.com Philippe Chevallier
39 36.08' N
29 22.00' W
0.3
228
5.7
227.0
3.5
85.1
2240.5
97.9
4
TAT Express Arnaud Dhallenne
38 45.80' N
28 23.36' W
8.4
220
4.6
252.0
3.1
73.8
2255.7
113.2
Monos class 2
1
Artforms Kip Stone
38 22.64' N
41 00.04' W
7.0
270
6.2
302.0
6.0
144.5
1764.1
0.0
2
Vedettes de Bréhat Cap Marine Servane Escoffier
40 40.36' N
38 33.44' W
10.1
281
7.6
266.0
4.2
100.8
1941.2
177.0
3
Cap Guadeloupe 971 Luc Coquelin
40 44.72' N
37 14.80' W
6.8
253
5.8
280.0
4.9
118.3
1987.8
223.7
4
AOI Solidarité Dentaire Internationale Denis Douillez
35 51.64' N
27 44.20' W
7.2
218
5.6
217.0
5.3
126.0
2207.4
443.3
Monos class 3
1
Roaring Forty Michel Kleinjans
36 36.52' N
32 46.88' W
7.0
234
6.8
237.0
3.8
92.1
2010.6
0.0
2
DangerousWhenWet Aurélia Ditton
43 24.88' N
31 34.96' W
8.5
261
8.5
264.0
3.5
83.0
2284.4
273.8
3
Fantasy Forest Alain Grinda
39 48.42' N
23 31.98' W
4.2
266
5.2
275.0
5.8
139.5
2482.8
472.2
ABD
A Fond Contre la Spondylarthrite Didier Le Villain
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABD
La Promesse Jankees Lampe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABD
Charter Regis Guillemot Martinique Regis Guillemot
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Class 40
1
philsharpracing.com Phil Sharp
39 06.60' N
43 10.96' W
15.0
243
11.1
240.0
8.6
207.3
1726.5
0.0
2
Oyster Funds Gildas Morvan
37 48.92' N
39 42.24' W
7.1
281
6.3
271.0
6.7
160.9
1785.7
59.2
3
Atao Audio System Dominic Vittet
34 56.36' N
34 04.40' W
6.0
230
7.7
224.0
4.1
98.3
1905.9
179.4
4
IXSEA Olivier Rabine
38 47.76' N
37 16.32' W
8.0
254
7.4
254.0
6.3
151.1
1907.4
180.9
5
Chocolats Monbana Damien Grimont
37 30.92' N
35 58.00' W
8.4
257
8.8
243.0
5.4
129.2
1908.6
182.1
6
TMI Technologies Joe Seeten
36 00.48' N
33 47.52' W
8.9
262
8.1
250.0
4.2
101.4
1950.2
223.7
7
Appart'City Yvan Noblet
35 25.92' N
33 09.66' W
8.0
249
7.7
251.0
3.6
85.5
1953.5
227.1
8
Tchuda Popka 2 Gw Catherine
36 14.20' N
33 26.48' W
7.6
239
7.7
230.0
3.6
85.2
1971.8
245.3
9
Kenmore Homes Nick Bubb
40 04.56' N
36 14.56' W
8.0
245
8.2
252.0
6.6
159.1
1996.6
270.1
10
Bolands Mill Ian Munslow
40 49.72' N
37 01.84' W
8.1
241
5.9
257.0
5.4
129.7
1998.6
272.1
11
Cinémas Cinéfil.com JE Criquioche
36 49.28' N
32 10.92' W
4.0
248
4.1
251.0
3.8
92.3
2041.9
315.4
12
Le Comptoir Immobilier Guillaume Voizard
38 14.20' N
32 59.04' W
9.0
274
7.6
271.0
4.9
117.8
2053.7
327.3
13
Cotes d'Armor - Pierres et Mer Philippe le Gros
36 48.88' N
31 41.20' W
1.0
247
6.5
241.0
4.1
99.1
2062.4
335.9
14
Cap VAD Thibaud Derville
37 21.08' N
32 02.88' W
7.0
228
6.8
237.0
4.9
117.5
2063.5
337.0
15
Nous Entreprenons Jacques Fournier
37 37.52' N
31 57.64' W
7.0
246
7.2
258.0
5.1
121.6
2075.5
349.0
16
Lexibook Hervé Papin
37 43.76' N
32 00.80' W
6.0
247
7.6
245.0
5.2
125.2
2076.5
350.1
17
Guyader L'Esprit de la Mer Gery Trentseaux
37 11.48' N
31 29.16' W
6.4
253
6.8
237.0
4.1
98.3
2081.9
355.4
18
Destination Calais Pierre-Yves Chatelain
37 09.52' N
30 11.56' W
7.3
246
7.0
249.0
4.6
109.7
2135.0
408.6
19
FNAIM Pays de Loire Lionel Regnier
36 24.40' N
29 35.88' W
6.3
230
7.4
249.0
3.8
91.5
2139.7
413.2
20
Nouvelle Caledonie Yves Ecarlat
37 06.56' N
29 22.12' W
6.4
244
7.7
237.0
5.3
126.0
2168.6
442.1
21
Paca Entrprendre Cecile Poujol
38 14.76' N
29 49.32' W
6.4
244
6.6
258.0
3.5
84.1
2181.8
455.3
22
KNAUF Industries David Lefebvre
38 31.86' N
28 37.50' W
0.0
0
0.0
90.0
1.4
32.9
2239.4
512.9
23
Fermiers de Loué - Sarthe Francois Angoulvant
38 31.96' N
28 37.48' W
0.1
40
0.6
231.0
3.8
91.8
2239.4
513.0
24
Jardin Bio Equitable Benoit Parnaudeau
38 41.64' N
28 24.84' W
8.0
221
5.5
247.0
4.7
112.8
2252.7
526.2
25
Siegenia-Aubi Marc Lepesqueux
39 53.56' N
25 30.68' W
0.3
208
2.1
220.0
5.6
134.2
2405.4
679.0
 
A steady procession of 60ft trimarans followed Lionel Lemonchois into Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe yesterday at the conclusion of a record breaking Route du Rhum. Safely in second was Pascal Bidegorry on Banque Populaire, the former Solitaire du Figaro winner dispelling critics opinions of him not having had enough time racing his powerful three hulled yacht singlehanded. Bidegorry reached Pointe a Pitre in a time of 8 days 4 hours 25 minutes and 7 seconds, 11 hours 6 minutes and 1 seconds after Gitana 11, covering the 3835 miles he sailed at an average of 18.03 knots.

However there was no let up in the tension as Thomas Covile on board Sodebo, found himself in a match race to reach the finish line with Michel Desjoyeaux on Geant. Eventually Coville's red trimaran prevailed beating the 2002 winner to the line by only 9 minutes 22 seconds. Taking fifth spot was Franck Cammas on Groupama II.

"The race started between friends in Saint-Malo and that was a fantastic brawl in the best conditions," recounted Coville on his arrival. "What a pleasure! These boats are the most fabulous sailing machines on the planet, the finest, the most beautiful, the most subtle. We now have a generation of racing machines which literally fly . I made runs at 30 knots on one foil, the boat completely out of water. [ Sodeb'o was monitored by her router making 37.60 knots). I found exactly why I do this sport."

However the festivities in Pointe a Pitre down turn last night when the news arrived that the EPIRB had gone off on Steve Ravussin's Orange Project due to a capsize. The location of the beacon indicated the striken trimaran to be at 40°25N, 41°35W. Ravussin also capsized his trimaran when leading the Route du Rhum four years ago. The container ship Okhta Bridge has been diverted to rescue the Swiss skipper. The next arrivals in the ORMA class are Yvan Bourgnon on board Brossard followed by Alain Gautier on Foncia.



In the Open 60s the crossing of the warm front has shaken up the relative distances if not so much the order of the front runners. The lead of Roland Jourdain on board Sill et Veolia, 127 miles 24 hours ago has now been reduced to 88 miles, Jourdain having only managed to break into the strong northwesterlies in the last four hours. However Bilou has done a fine job of placing himself between his opponents and the mark and as the figures above show he is already up to the speed of those chasing him, the boats having averaged 14-16 knots over the last four hours.

Meanwhile the match race between Jean le Cam on VM Materiaux and Jean-Pierre Dick on Virbac Paprec continues with le Cam now ahead despite Dick having the inside track yesterday. Both boats turned their bows southwest when they reached the northwesterlies at about 1700 yesterday.

The class act has unquestionably been Armel le Cleac'h, who if he hasn't managed to storm past the leaders having broken through to the northwesterlies first, has managed to close in on them significantly in his very much older generation Open 60 Brit Air. He is now pretty much 250 miles due north of Sill et Veolia although may have screwed up slightly yesterday by having to take a losing gybe back to the southeast. Le Cleac'h has now pushed Brian Thompson on Artemis out of fifth place. Thompson and Dominique Wavre on the new Temenos are still in 'yesterday's weather' and should break into the northwesterlies later today. It will be interesting to compare the relative performances of the six race leaders in strong running conditions.

Yesterday looking ahead to the outcome of the boats passing to the opposite side of the front, Dominique Wavre commented: "This spices things up a bit, watching these options and seeing how they’re going to make us converge in the same place. I have had a difficult night under spinnaker with a fair amount of broaches as a result of the autopilot not holding. It switches itself off in a small gust or a little wave and I’ve even ended up with the boat the wrong way round. Fortunately, I’ve come out of it unharmed and I’ve since changed the computer and the pilot seemed to be holding earlier. The boat is going along nicely on its own. It’s slipping along, reaching on flat seas. It’s thoroughly enjoyable.”

With his spirits visibly lifted by his boat’s smooth running, the skipper really
seemed to be on great form during the radio chat session. In a clear, cheerful
voice Dominique continued, "I’m in great shape. I’m enjoying myself and I feel
so good with the boat that it keeps me alert. I don’t really feel like going
for a sleep…The weather should be a bit calmer by the end of the day so I’m
making the most of conditions now to cover some ground!” Wavre reported seeing great banks of weed this yesterday afternoon.

The whooping and hollering is still going on in thedailysail office as Britain's Phil Sharp consolidates his dominating position in the Class 40 (read our interview with him here). This morning finds the 25 year from Jersey 79 miles ahead of Figaro maestro Gildas Morvan, with an instantaneous speed of 15 knots to Morvan's 7.1 and a four hour average of 11.1 to Morvan's 6.3. Still the wrong side of the front Morvan doesn't seem to be out of the woods yet as ahead of him the front seems to be developing some circulation and it only like this afternoon when the Frenchman will get through. The southerly option being taken by Dominique Vittet ( ATAO) and Joe Seeten is still not looking that flash. The skippers here continue to sail in light to moderae SSEerly winds and are awaiting the big shift which they are unlikely to see until tomorrow.

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