Gale bound in Cherbourg

An update from the Tour de France a la Voile

One week ago, the competitors started the 13th Tour de France a la Voile. At present the thirty Mumm 30s are making a forced stopover in Cherbourg Octeville, waiting for the weather to abate.

On 29 June, the Race Committee took the decision to delay the start of the race, because of strong winds off Dunkerque. Since then, a prologue, four windward-leeward races and two offshore legs were sailed, sometimes in extreme weather conditions.

Daniel Souben skipper of Courrier Dunkerque talks about the weather of the first week in the Channel: “We’ve had a very difficult time because we’ve been sailing mainly upwind during the offshore legs. It is hard for the boats and for the sailors”. For the crews this has meant prolonged hiking. “We’re doing all right for the moment, always in the leading pack. Consistency is what matters”.

Consistency is also what made the difference for the three leading favourites, Ile de France (Victor Lanier, Nicolas Pauchet), Tahiti et ses Iles (Teva Plichart) and Toulon Provence Méditerranée – COYCHyères (Fabien Henry). Manche – Basse Normandie (Benoît Charon, Nicolas Jossier) was third, before breaking its forestay during the offshore leg between Dieppe and Cherbourg. Hopefully, they are able to repair it, as EIGSI – Charente Maritime did after she dismasted three days ago.

During the briefing with the skippers at 6pm, the Race Committee said that the next start would most likely not take place tomorrow: “the Raz Blanchard is dangerous even according to the professionals in the coastguard. They recorded a wind blowing from 25 up to 35 knots. It would be hard for a Mumm 30 to pass it in these weather conditions”.

Another briefing is set tomorrow at 11am.

Today the race village was in full swing in Granville with concerts and activities organised by the Pays Granvillais.

Leaderboard

Pos	Boat	Skipper	Tot
1	ILE DE France	Victor LANIER - Nicolas PAUCHET	248.75
2	TAHITI ET SES ILES	Teva PLICHART	246.25
3	TOULON PROVENCE MERDITERRANEE COYCH HYERES	Fabien HENRY	225
4	COTES D'ARMOR	Michaël AVELINE	216.25
5	CAISSE D'EPARGNE HEC ECOLE NAVALE	Hervé GAUTIER	209.75
6	COURRIER DUNKERQUE	Daniel SOUBEN	208.5
7	ELCIMAI VILLE DE MARSEILLE	Dimitri DERUELLE	205.75
8	MANCHE-BASSE NORMANDIE	Benoît CHARON - Nicolas JOSSIER	195
9	SAINT-MALO PURFLO TEAM SNBSM	François LEBOURDAIS - Pierre HINGANT	188.75
10	BRED	Sylvain CHTOUNDER	186
11	NOUVELLE CALEDONIE	Vincent Portugal	184.5
12	LES SAISIES INSA	Sylvain LEBOEUF	180.5
13	PERPIGNAN MEDITERRANEE	Paul McKENZIE	180.25
14	VILLE DU PORT REGION REUNION	Gabriel JEAN-ALBERT - Marc GUESSARD	177.25
15	ESPOIRS AQUITAINS	J-Philippe ALLILAIRE - Nicolas RADOT	173.25
16	VAL-THORENS	Lucas MILLIERET	163.25
17	ING ESPOIR ESCP EAP	Vincent AILLAUD	161
18	VILLE DE GENEVE CARREFOUR PREVENTION	Loïc FUHRER	156
19	BREST GRANDES ECOLES ENSIETA ESC	P-François DARGNIES	152
20	NANTES SAINT-NAZAIRE	Erwan AUBURTIN - Julien MASSON	134
21	DEFI SCLEROSE EN PLAQUES THOSHIBA	Stéphane VENEL	129.75
22	BIENNE VOILE	Thomas STUDER	126.75
23	VANUDEN TUDELFT VANOORD	Suzanne LEIDERS - Michiel VAN DER5 MEULEN	121.75
24	EIGSI CHARENTE MARITIME	Frédéric GAUTHIER	119.5
25	DIEPPE SEINE MARITIME	Sophie RIOT	110.25
26	T.SERVICE INTERIM REGION DE BRUXELLES CAPITALE	Laurent DECLERCQ - Cyril MICHEL	107
27	NAVTECH.CA	Thomas BARBEAU	106.5
28	TEAM CENTRALE NANTES EPA- SOPRA	François LOURDAIS	104.5
29	ETAMINE CENTRALE PARIS	Pierre PENNEC	89.25
30	ECHO MER SUP DE CO VOILE	Jean-Marc ALLAIRE	68.5