The chief's fight

The leaders are fighting hard! Nouvelle-Calédonie wins the two first races sailed in Dieppe today. TPM – COYCH takes the third one. The overall ranking is now very tight, with Nouvelle-Calédonie leading. Behind Bertrand Pacé’s team, Courrier Dunkerque, second, and TPM – COYCH, third.

Courrier Dunkerque wakes up!

Very light winds, strong currents and lulls: the offshore leg between Calais and Dieppe lasted for a long time. No boat was able to cross the finish line on time (today, before 5.50 pm). The race committee reduced the course, taking the official ranking in Fécamp as the final ranking.

Oman Sail's mixed revenge

Up and down for Oman Sail’s Renaissance! The Oman’s boat was launched again this morning after a night of repairs. The crew went twice aground yesterday, before to win the first race today and to be called disqualified during the second start.

Bertrand Pacé at the helm

He can keep the red spinnaker! Bertrand Pacé took Nouvelle-Calédonie’s helm this morning and just won the first offshore leg between Dunkerque and Calais. His team is still leading the overall ranking. Job done in the North wind and streams.

Impressive Nouvelle-Caledonie

The trickier the weather, the better Nouvelle-Calédonie is! The wind dropped down and the current reversed constantly. Yet, the team won both races today in Dunkerque and is now leading the temporary ranking.

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.

Nice start for Nouvelle-Calédonie

It’s a simple recipe: sun, ten knots of wind, some training and a tough prologue in a pleasant first day! Today’s schedule: four fake starts followed by a prologue with a naught coefficient.

The 2010 Tour de France à la Voile, between sprints and marathons

Friday, December 4th: the route of the 2010 Tour de France à la Voile has been revealed during the press conference held at Paris Boat Show. From Dunkerque to La Seyne sur Mer, this round the France sailing race will be an extreme one, as offshore legs will be either very long or very short. The race will have a quick start since most of the points will be given between the Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Competitors will have to challenge Courrier Dunkerque, the current title holder, as soon as possible. "The first half of the race will be of main importance from a strategic point of view since it will include two coefficient three legs." explains the race director William Borel. Three marathon legs will cover 500 miles between Dieppe (Seine Maritime) and Talmont Saint Hilaire (Vendée), including stopovers at Pléneuf Val André (Côtes d'Armor) and Lorient (Morbihan). On the contrary, the Mediterranean Sea will be all about inshore races, with no more than two offshore legs from Port Camargue (Gard) to Marseille (Bouches du Rhône), and from Marseille to La Seyne sur Mer (Var). The race organization should take advantage of the Southern coast to launch many triangle races.