News Around the World �
FRANCE On top (again)
The UNCL, managing French participation at the Commodores’ Cup, can be proud of the results of their three teams – on the 10th anniversary of the last French victory in this emblematic series organised by the RORC. The 2016 edition featured an intense week of racing, in every condition, into which the organisers squeezed no fewer than 12 races including a 160nm offshore race plus a windy 60nm race around the Isle of Wight. At the end of the week France Blue, Teasing Machine (A13) skippered by Eric De Turckheim and Laurent Pages, Goa(Ker 39) skippered by Gilles Prietz and Samuel Prietz and Cifraline 4(Sunfast 3200) skippered by Daniel Andrieu, had won the cup in style! A beautiful performance that nicely demonstrated the inshore skills and offshore determination and experience of the French crews. In addition to France Blue, our delegation counted two other teams of three boats: France White in third and France Red in fourth. France Blue rapidly grabbed the lead of the series, immediately showing the pace as well as the consistency that is the key to winning big team events. Meanwhile, the two other French teams were already suffering a bit with patchy performances from their two JND 39s, rather radical new IRC designs which clearly need more time to reach their potential. Samuel Prietz on the Ker 39 Goa, who had France’s best individual result two years ago, explains: ‘Our victory is above all thanks to the knowledge present on our boats. I think in particular of the Tour de France à la Voile experience our team-members have acquired, racing first the Mumm 30 and then the M34. ‘We are also fortunate how Teasing Machinetruly delivered on its reputation as “the machine”. She is a very powerful boat, which
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after careful development now has the capacity to go quickly in most conditions. Even when our own boats were less effective, “the machine” was out in front gathering up valuable points – as with her victory around the Isle of Wight.
‘France Bleu was a very complementary team; each boat had its favoured conditions and together we were strong. On Goawe preferred the “banane” courses. With Cifralinewe never doubted that her owner/skipper/helmsman/designer… Daniel Andrieu would always do well in IRC 2. And he did! Our main battle was with the Flanders team, but we did the job, thanks to three very serious crews, well motivated and well prepared.
‘But this was a team result, and another person who was key to our victory was Nicolas Lunven, the brilliant Figaro sailor who from his little office in France provided all three French teams with the most accurate weather data you could ask for.’ The rather famous JPK Foggy Dewwas the top-scoring boat, winning several inshore races as well as scoring second and first overall respectively in the offshore and round the island. Skipper Noël Racine was very pleased to share the cockpit of his JPK 10.10 with a new, young crew which he had assembled for the event. He explained: ‘Our performance in France White was quite good – in our team we had a regular front-running boat plus another that was often quite far behind! But we had a lot of fun on the water thanks to some rather nice English weather. The Solent is always a special playground for serious racers, with its strong currents and shifty winds.’ Noël was also happy to beat Cifraline, one of his strongest rivals in France. At Spi Ouest-France this year there was no discard due to the small number of races sailed and Foggy Dewpaid the price for an OCS when Daniel Andrieu won.
In the Solent Noël always had an eye on the Sun Fast 3200
PAUL WYETH
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