Departure on Sunday, April 14th at 12:00 from Caen and 17:00 at sea!
We are finally there; Caen is getting ready to welcome, from next Wednesday (10 April 2013), 20 Class40 participants to the Normandy Channel Race. For the first race of the Class40 Association official calendar, the competitors will gather at the Saint Pierre dock. It promises a thrilling 2013 edition. Departure on Sunday, April 14th at 12:00 from Caen and 17:00 at sea!
Dual of winners. The1000 nautical miles of the race should be the scene of a high-level oceanic fight. Indeed, winner of the last edition in September, British skipper Ned Collier-Wakefield will be present to defend his title. This time, he will be co-skipper of French sailor Brieuc Maisonneuve also Al Bucq's owner, no 124, first Akilaria RC3 launched last November. Talking about winners, we can't skip the one who won the first edition in 2010 and the last Route du Rhum: Thomas Ruyant. He will team up with the second of the 2011 edition, Bruno Jourdren on his Tyker Evolution 3, Lord Jiminy (No. 119).
They are also seen as favorites. Renowned German skipper, Jörg Riechers, will try to do better than his disappointing 2012 edition. He was forced to retire during the first 24 hours after breaking the "Mach40 # 115" bowsprit. Sailing this time with Pierre Brasseur, the 2012 Class40 champion and "German skipper" of the year, is well decided to show that he is there to win. Sebastien Rogues will be on board a new boat, Mach40 # 130 GDF SUEZ launched last month. After a first season on the circuit, the young skipper from Lorient has showed that he has all the abilities to be on the podium. Duo Halvard Mabire / Miranda Merron, second from the last edition, will be present, always with the same ambition.
A podium of Mini sailors: Skippers from Class Mini 2012, Aymeric CHAPPELLIER and Nicolas BOIDEVEZI will meet once more on the water for a new battle. Indeed, they will be respectively co-skipper of Jean-Christophe Caso on Group Picoty (#85 ) and of Thibault Reinhart on Jasmine Flyer (#112 ). Furthermore, the fact that they have shared the podium four time the last season, gives a taste of symbolic rivalry that they will discuss, this time, in Class40. A race in the race.
A list of mixed competitors Reflecting the Class40 association, the Normandy Channel Race gathers a fleet of international skippers, both professional or amateur. 7 countries will be represented during this 2013 edition: France, United Kingdom, Germany, United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Switzerland. Many participants are coming back again to taste the happiness of this Cass40 ‘exclusive race, just like Catherine Pourre, Goulven Royer, Olivier Roussey, Phillippa Hutton-Squire, Boris Herrmann, Christophe Coatnoan, Louis Duc, Stéphanie Alran, Thibault Reinhart, Mathias Blumencron, etc. The only woman's crew will be represented by an English-speaking duo, the South African round the world sailor Phillippa Hutton-Squire and English skipper Pip Hare.
If the forecast remain the same as the last days, the sea conditions will be tough. The two previous editions had been shortened (bad weather in 2011 and lack of wind in 2012). The sailors have been deprived to see the Fastnet rock and its legendary lighthouse. Let's hope that next week weather briefing contradicts the current forecast outlook.
"The first section, as far as the Isle of Wight, is a good, classic Cross-Channel, with an interesting coastal course off the D-DayLandingBeaches and a perpendicular crossing of the shipping lanes, as is required by the rules of shipping.
Following on from that, we have a stark reminder of a Fastnet Race start. The Needles, Portland, Lizard, Land's End... The fantastic South coast of England has seen so much nautical jousting over the centuries that, if the cliffs could speak, we'd have a genuine encyclopaedia of Offshore Racing.
We say a quick hello to Wolf Rock and then we're back in the CelticSea with relish; a sea we've criss-crossed many times during our Figaros and various Fastnet races.
Next we track straight across to the Côtes d 'Armor in Brittany, as if to the mark the boundary between ourselves and our dear "Anglos", with the strongest tides, the strongest currents and a few very familiar rocks as justices of the peace. The terrible Raz Blanchard forms a tricky passage, with the Goury lighthouse playing the role of gatekeeper, and we can but hope that the winds and tide are with us. Indeed we know all to well that with the "Vent d 'Amont" (NE'ly wind) over tide, it's a liquid hell if there's more than 25 knots of breeze!
As if one Raz wasn't enough, the one at Barfleur will be on hand to remind us that the English Channel is no joke and that it's the Tide that decides here.
The Baie de Seine won't be sparing of us as regards the currents and all the way to the finish, we'll have to dig deep and play the shrewdness card if we're to successfully complete the "Normandy Channel Race"...
The Channel has witnessed a number of races and it needed its own event to pay homage to the waters which opened the gateways to the World to us. I hope that in a few decades time, we'll speak of the Normandy Channel Race as fondly as we do of its big sisters, and that the wake we trace in 2010 will be followed for all time."
*Halvard Mabire is one of the most highly awarded French sailors in offshore racing with 5 crewed round the worlds to his credit, 7 Solitaires du Figaro and 33 transatlantics. The most notable of his wins are the Course de l’Europe, the Twostar (twice champion) and the Transat Quebec Saint Malo in the Class 40.
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Normandy Channel Race Act 4: Entry list worthy of the greatest races!
By Maxime FALCONE - Class40 Association
Translation by Muriel ROBIN - Class40 Association
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