The 106 boats that left Cherbourg-en-Cotentin on Saturday at 11h00 for the sixth edition of the DRHEAM-CUP/GRAND PRIX DE COURSE AU LARGE were served an energetic and fast start to the race. Ten boats have retired this Sunday morning. Three in Class40: Sycomore (Gwenchlan Catherine), Women of Course (Théa Khelif) and Affaire à Faire (Axel Tréhin); One in Multi 2000: Hissy Fit (Simon Baker); four in IRC crewed: Maori III (Jacques Loup), Princesse Gotionude II (Nicolas Dezeustre), Fastwave 7 (Eric Fries) and Arcane (Thierry de Mazancourt); one in IRC double-handed: Pilou (Hervé Chataigner); one in Sun Fast 30 OD: All In (Emeric Lacroix).
As expected, the Ocean Fifties quickly picked up the pace in a strong east/north-easterly wind, and Baptiste Hulin (Viabilis Océans) led the race until the Fastnet, which he rounded in the middle of the night, before being overtaken by Basile Bourgnon (Edenred). “The wind fell slightly south of Ireland, which enabled the first Ocean Fifties to regroup, Edenred came out on top and took the lead, and you can see that they are coming into more wind as they sail further from the rock”, commented Race Manager Francis Le Goff.
Proof of the intensity of the race, five solo sailors are within 2 nautical miles of each other, Basile Bourgnon, Pierre Quiroga (Wewise), Matthieu Perraud (Elvest), Léonard Legrand (Sodebo Fifty) and Baptiste Hulin, followed fifteen miles later by the trio Laurent Bourguès (Devenez le partenaire du cheval blanc), Anne-Claire Le Berre (Upwind by MerConcept) and Luke Berry (Le Rire Médecin Lamotte). Note that Damien Seguin, sailing in Multi 2000 and racing double-handed with Gérald Viénard on the Orma Arkea Handicap International, was authorised by race management to sail the same course as the Ocean Fifties.
As for the second course, the DC 1000, the two IMOCA yachts – April Marine-Tahiti Déménage Tout, crewed by Arnaud Boissières, and Resilient, sailed solo by Pierre-Louis Attwell – are heading for the Fastnet this Sunday morning, as is the tightly grouped Class40 fleet, with all the favourites at the front. Guillaume Pirouelle (Seafrigo-Sogestran), fresh from three victories in the Transat Café L’Or, Trin’40 and CIC Normandy Channel Race, is leading the way, ahead of Corentin Douguet (SNSM, Faites un don !) and Luca Rosetti (Maccaferri Futura).
In the Vintage Mono class, the eagerly anticipated race between the three 50-footers Groupe Cogedis boats – Enfants du Mékong (Patrick Isoard), Euvad (Tanguy Caradec) and Use it Again For Youth, skippered by the race’s youngest competitor, Titouan Pilliard – is well and truly underway. Having passed the Isles of Scilly at around 3.30 am, they are now within ten miles of one another. A three-way race in almost the same area is ongoing in the Vintage Multi class between GDD (Halvard Mabire), MG5-Econav (Marc Guillemot) and Sterec Ultime (Christophe Bogrand).
Finally, on the DC 600 course, Graine de Courage (Florian Gueguen) passed Wolf Rock around midnight in the lead of the Multi 2000 class and is heading to the DRHEAM-CUP buoy, 150 miles off Ushant. The Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze-Majorica, the largest boat in the fleet, skippered by Swiss national Alan Rouran is leading in the IRC crewed class, ahead of Sidney Gavignet’s Cigare Rouge, with Karma (Rogier Van Overveld) leading in IRC double-handed.
As for the weather, conditions today remain stable, with a steady east/north-easterly wind continuing, whilst, according to Francis Le Goff, “a stormy low-pressure system is moving up from Spain towards the tip of Brittany and could affect the easternmost boats in the fleet on the DC 600 course overnight”. The first Multi 2000 are expected in Lorient late on Monday. The Ocean Fifties will follow on Tuesday evening, just in time for the France v. Spain semi-final in the football World Cup and Bastille day fireworks!
