1st racing day : the science of current

One common factor today: the current. It offered a first victory to Ile-de-France 2010, and a beautiful second place to Nouvelle-Calédonie. It locked Supelec far from the start line, and Défi SEP / Arts et Métiers / Centrale Paris from the finish line. At the end of the day, the current rules the ranking on Dunkerque’s watercourse.

What a tricky weather for the first ranked race of the Tour de France à la Voile 2010! Sailors had to wait for hours before to start in five knots of Northeast wind and a strong current – two knots!

The 28 teams did their best to play with such a strong stream under Dunkerque’s bright sun. Ile-de-France 2010’s skipper, Jimmy Pahun, speaks about a “treadmill”. His crew mastered it, moving on the watercourse when sailing downwind and navigating with the current. They win a very tactical leg. Right behind them, Nouvelle-Calédonie finishes second. Third, CSC-HEC-Ecole Navale is the first student team! They caught up with Courrier Dunkerque (8th) and Oman Sail’s Renaissance (9th), even if these professional crews started well.

Other students suffered from this current. Supelec is DNS for not crossing the start line within the first four minutes; Défi SEP / Arts et Métiers / Centrale Paris is DNF for crossing the finish line more than 30 minutes after the leader. The treadmill was a tricky one!

Interviews

Jimmy Pahun, Ile-de-France 2010’s skipper:
“It’s only the first race but it’s pleasant to win it! First of all, our spi tomorrow will be red. It’s good for the mental. Martin and Benoit, our boat captains, leave us every morning a message. Today’s message was: "we start as we end." I don’t know about it, but it might be a happy omen! There are 30 or 35 races left and there are very good teams on the TFV. We know what we wish for the final ranking and we are over our ambition right now. On the water, it was all about the start. We took a good option starting on the right, next to the committee boat. We’ve immediately been racing against Oman. When you are ahead, the regatta looks different.”

Eric Drouglazet, BRED’s skipper and tactician:
“It was a very difficult race in light winds and a strong current. The start was difficult to take because the current pushed us on the line. We had to slow the boat. Yet, we started well. We passed the upwind mark in a good position – 8th. Afterwards, it was random downwind, with lulls and streams. We finished 11th. Even if it’s a middle place, we are happy about it. Such races are dangerous and we are relieved about the speed of our boat, BRED. We can fight!”

Félix Pruvot, CSC – HEC – Ecole Navale’s helmsman:
“It was a great race for our boat. We passed the first upwind mark in 15th position, fighting with the other student teams. During the first downwind leg, we took a good option on the right of the watercourse. It paid very well: we were 6th at the downwind gate. Afterwards, we gained some more places. It wasn’t easy but very interesting with such current, and we succeeded. Hervé Gautier is very comfortable in these light wind conditions, and in such a strong current. So do I. We managed to identify the current to deal with it and come back.”