Yann Guichard and his crew on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild have won the third round of the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series™ in Kiel with a race to spare – an unusual occurrence on this circuit that normally sees every event go to the wire in the final double points race. However, there was no stopping Guichard who took control of the German event yesterday, unseating Britain’s Mike Golding from the top of the leaderboard. Today the French team scored four 1st places and two 4th places in the six fleet races: “I think that’s the best event we have ever done,” said Guichard. “We were in the match since the first day, our manoeuvres got better and better and the last two days were almost perfect. We enjoyed ourselves onboard and the results speak for themselves. Sometimes, like today, things just go well - we could have had 10 races today and I’m sure it would’ve been just as fine!”

The Extreme Sailing Series™ Kiel event, supported by Kiel.Sailing City, delivered tough and tricky racing conditions for the 9 competing teams who rose to the challenges and entertained the 65,000 strong crowd that lined the Kiellinie shoreline over the four days.

Conditions were similar to yesterday – big rain squalls bringing big gusts, then decreasing wind – and there was plenty of action on the short race courses resulting in numerous penalties. There was a collision between Red Bull Extreme Sailing and The Wave, Muscat in the third race of the day in a port/starboard incident approaching the weather mark – the impact was so loud it was heard inside the VIP enclosure! Neither team incurred major damage and carried on racing with Roman Hagara’s team awarded a 4-point redress as they sat out the next race to affect repairs to their bow on the water

The all-British team on Ecover, having led for the first two days, had to settle for 2nd place overall and that was not without a fight. At the start of the final day they were lying in third behind Oman Sail Masirah, skippered by Loick Peyron. But good fighting tactics saw them move into 2nd overall after two races which they managed to cling on to: “It was a really good event for us and, more importantly, we are moving forward our expectations in the overall series which is great,” said Golding. “We had one slightly shaky day here but we see a continuous improvement which is important. There’s no secret, it’s all about team work and training, and it’s paying now.”

The battle for 3rd place then developed between the two Omani teams of Oman Sail Masirah and The Wave, Muscat. Paul Campbell-James, skipper of The Wave, finally got the upper hand in the penultimate race moving into 3rd overall with 120 points, 1 point ahead of Masirah. In the final double points race, Loick Peyron had the advantage but ‘CJ’ fought back to finish ahead and take 3rd place on the podium.

Mid-leaderboard Mitch Booth on The Ocean Racing Club continued to dominate, finishing on equal points with Masirah, but awarded 5th place overall on countback. Red Bull Extreme Sailing, involved in so much of the action here today, finished in 6th place on 99 points, ahead of Groupama on 92 points, helmed by Tanguy Cariou whilst Franck Cammas demolished the Round Britain & Ireland course record on his Groupama VO70. A ‘home’ team battle raged between the German ‘wild card’ entries of Team Wirsol Germany, with the young skipper Tino Mittelmeier at the helm, and the Audi Sailing Team Germany which facilitates training for the 2012 Olympics. Going into the final day, only 1 point separated the two teams to Audi’s advantage, but a spectacular win in the second race of the day for Team Wirsol Germany – that sent the thousands of spectators ecstatic – helped them overhaul their compatriots.

Next stop for the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series™ is Trapani, Sicily over the 24-26 September, the penultimate event of the circuit: “I’ve never been to Trapani, we’re going to race in the harbour so maybe it will be comparable to Almeria,” commented Guichard. “At this time of the year there should be some thermal breeze so conditions should be pleasant and we can expect a good fight.” Yann Guichard now has two wins under his belt (Séte and Kiel) and Paul Campbell-James one (Cowes). “I think we clearly demonstrated that we’re a force to be reckoned with for the Overall Series victory,” said Guichard. “We’re now more than halfway into the season, and with this second event win we take a psychological advantage as well as one in terms of points, so we’re very happy.” From the performance here in Kiel it looks like Guichard’s campaign is gathering steam – can anyone stop the ‘express train’ now?

Kiel.Sailing City
Situated on the Baltic Coast in northern Germany, this iconic sailing venue plays host to the German round of the Extreme Sailing Series™ at the halfway stage of the 2010 circuit. The city of Kiel, home to the famous Kieler Woche, is well used to hosting other international ISAF endorsed events and the crowds turn out in there thousands to watch the Extreme Sailing Series™ Kiel. In 2009, in pouring rain, over 45,000 people watched the action for the three-day event and in 2008 in glorious sunshine, over 80,000. At the 2010 event an estimated crowd of 65,000 attended the four-day event.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Kiel Overall Results
1st Groupe Edmond de Rothschild 167 points
2nd Ecover Sailing Team 142 points
3rd The Wave, Muscat 128 points
4th Oman Sail Masirah 125 points
5th The Ocean Racing Club 125 points
6th Red Bull Extreme Sailing 99 points
7th Groupama 40 92 points
8th Wirsol Team Germany 67 points
9th Audi Sailing Team Germany 61 points

Extreme Sailing Series™ 2010 Overall Standings
1st Groupe Edmond de Rothschild 22 points
2nd The Wave, Muscat 20 points
3rd Ecover Sailing Team 19 points
4th Oman Sail Masirah 17 points
5th Red Bull Extreme Sailing 10 points
6th Groupama 40 9 points
7th The Ocean Racing Club 8 points
8th Team GAC Pindar* 3 points

After 7 weeks of yard work for a complete check up, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is now all set for the start of the term! The skipper, Pascal Bidegorry, is pleased to announce his crew list and welcomes three highly experienced sailors on board, enriching its existing strong core team for their attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. As of today, everybody is in Lorient to start training and validate the different changes made on the trimaran before entering the stand-by period of the Jules Verne Trophy on the 1st of November.
A spectacular crew!

Since her launch two years ago, Banque Populaire V has been victorious in every record undertaken: the North-Atlantic crossing, the 24 hours record and lately the trans-Mediterranean record. For this attempt around the world, Pascal Bidegorry and Ronan Lucas have logically kept the core crew which participated in these victories: Yvan Ravussin, Emmanuel Le Borgne Jeremie Beyou and Florent Chastel, who have been sailing with Pascal for many years, along with members from the Banque Populaire Team, such as Ronan Lucas, Kevin Escoffier and Pierre-Yves Moreau. Sailors sharing other competences such as Xavier Revil, Thierry Chabagny and Erwan Tabarly were also part of these records.

Three highly experienced sailors join today the existing sailing team. First, Fred Le Peutrec who benefits from a strong experience in multihull sailing and won the Jules Verne Trophy last year aboard Groupama 3.      
The crew will also be composed of two international sailors who have sailed around the world on the most famous races: Brian Thomson and Juan Vila. Brian is recognized as being one of the most experienced British sailors with a vast experience in offshore sailing and holds no less than twenty-five sailing records to date and won the Jules Verne Trophy aboard Cheyenne in 2004. On the other side, Juan totalizes no less than 4 participations in the Volvo Ocean Race (winner in 2001) and 5 participations in the America’s Cup, including one victory in 2007 on board Alinghi.

Pascal Bidegorry explains: “I wanted to enrich the crew with solid experienced of round-the-world sailors and it now the case with their arrival. We have already had the opportunity to sail all together in the Mediterranean and on the convoying return, and there is an excellent atmosphere when they are on board, which does not waste anything! I am delighted with this 2010 vintage. It goes the right way and supplements a crew which is already famous for his great quality. We will have interesting navigations in the coming weeks “.
Heavy program!

After a few days in the water at her base in Lorient, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is already sailing with her crew. There is no time to waste to engage the season the best way: “I’m obviously very pleased to be back sailing aboard the Maxi Banque Populaire V” confided Pascal. “We will peacefully put the boat back into racing conditions; confirm the changes made on the wardrobe as on the new sails. We will also test some small modifications made on riggings in order to ease maneuvers.  This week will be devoted to sailing by the day and we plan in staying a little longer at sea next week.”    

With the mix of competence and experience, added up to the heavy work that will be carried out before the stand-by period, it can safely be said that Pascal Bidegorry and the Banque Populaire Team are seizing every opportunities to make this Jules Verne Trophy a victory.
The crew on the Maxi Banque Populaire V for the Jules Verne Trophy

Out of the watch system
Pascal Bidégorry: skipper
Juan Vila: navigator

Watch n°1
Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite
Brian Thompson : helmsman - trimmer
Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman - trimmer
Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite

Watch n°2
Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader
Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman - trimmer, medical attendant
Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman - trimmer, in charge of electronics
Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of safety

Watch n°3
Jérémie Beyou : Watch leader
Kevin Escoffier : helmsman - trimmer, in charge of video
Xavier Revil : helmsman - trimmer, in charge of the food on board
Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of riggings and medical attendant

Marcel Van Triest : weather router

 

It was at 1126 hours BST on Sunday that Franck Cammas and his ten crew took victory in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland off the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. By covering the 1,802 miles in 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes at an average speed of 12.74 knots, the French crew considerably improved on the best time over this course which had previously been in the hands of the British sailors Dee Cafari and Sam Davies since 2009. “Our arrival in the Isle of Wight was pretty magical. We powered along the island at over twenty knots under spinnaker before tacking against the current in the Solent. On crossing the finish line off the Squadron, the exhaustion swept over us. That’s how you build a team; it’s important” says Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator aboard Groupama 70.

As the winner of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland tied up to the dock in the port of Cowes, the bottle of champagne was passed around the whole crew. Very much in demand, Franck Cammas had to do a steady stream of telephone interviews and after his first confrontation against a Volvo Ocean Race specialist, the skipper of Groupama 70 was ready and waiting: “Our aim in this race was to see how the work this new team, on a new boat, has been doing over the past six months would measure up to a reference like Telefonica. The battle was great and very close-fought. We really battled hard. The confrontation was worth its weight in gold with the crew forced to sail under pressure for the first time since Groupama’s engagement in the Volvo. This victory has motivated the whole team to push themselves as hard as they can. As far as the record is concerned, it’s the icing on the cake” explains a happy Franck Cammas.

By taking 14 hours and 3 minutes less time than the previous Sevenstar RBI reference, Groupama 70 has confirmed the fast pace of these Volvo Ocean Race monohulls, which are capable of peak speeds in excess of 30 knots, as well as regularly sailing faster than the strength of the wind, like the multihulls that the skipper of Groupama is so familiar with.

However, the greatest satisfaction for the recent winner of the Jules Verne Trophy is a human one: “We have a new team. None of my crew come from the multihull and the three Groupama trimarans. It was necessary for me to become integrated. For that there’s nothing more valuable than a race to get to know each other well and gain trust. I’ve learnt more in six days of racing than in six months of training in Lorient during our day sails. This victory binds our crew for the future”.

Next up the crew will quickly have to head back out to sea to return to the base in Lorient: “We’ll have left before Telefonica arrives. We’re not being prudish, but our work schedule is a busy one and every minute counts until the start of the Volvo in November 2011. It would be a mistake to underestimate our rivals” concludes Jean-Luc Nélias.

- Time of passage over the finish line: 1126 hours BST
- Race time: 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes
- Average speed over the 1,802 mile course: 12.74 knots
- Lead over the previous record: 14 hours and 3 minutes

Crew of Groupama 70
1. Franck Cammas, skipper
2. Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator
3. Laurent Pagès, watch leader
4. Magnus Woxen, watch leader
5. Charles Caudrelier, trimmer
6. Erwan Israël, trimmer, under 30 years of age
7. Martin Strömberg, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
8. Sébastien Marsset, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
9. Mike Pammenter, bowman, under 30 years of age
10. Martin Krite, bowman, under 30 years of age
11. Yann Riou, media crew

 

After the opening day of round 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Kiel, Germany, it is clear that at the halfway stage of the 2010 circuit there are three or four teams in contention at the top of the leaderboard, but what is not so clear is which team will come out on top after a day of mixed results.

At the first round in Sète (France) the pre-season favourites, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild skippered by Yann Guichard, displayed their winning form. However, in the challenging tidal and windier conditions at Cowes (UK) it was the ‘young guns’ on The Wave, Muscat who secured victory. After today’s five races here in Kiel it is Mike Golding’s all-British team who have flourished, finishing the opening day at the top of the leaderboard: “It was a gentle lead into the series, nothing like last year! We started a bit shaky but got better and better as the day went on. At each event we have progressed and got better so it is a great confidence boost. There are a lot of races still to come but we have our eyes set on the top spot if we can,” said Golding. The team’s results to date back-up the words – a fourth place at Sète and a second place in Cowes – now the team clearly have their at the very top of the podium. A year ago things could not have been more different for the team that wallowed in the bottom half of the leaderboard and a dramatic capsize at the 2009 Kiel event dented their confidence even further. A new team with Olympian Tornado duo of Leigh McMillan on the helm and Will Howden trimming, Jonathan Taylor on bow and Golding as skipper is paying huge dividends. The question is whether they can keep it together to keep their rivals at bay with three days of racing remaining.

Today’s conditions started off in a light 5-6 knots of breeze from the north-east that increased by a couple of knots mid-afternoon, which demanded slick crew work and good boat speed. The start line was a crowded affair with the nine boats, including two German ‘wild card’ teams, and everyone looking for a clean start to gain the all-important advantage. Paul Campbell-James and his team on The Wave, Muscat scored the first bullet of the day ahead of Red Bull Extreme Sailing and Wirsol Team Germany, who were clearly delighted with a third place in the first race. Then it was Yann Guichard’s turn on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild as the winds increased to 8 knots and a few hulls started to fly. The racing was close, seconds rather than minutes separating the boats at the finish line. Guichard’s team were in the overall lead going into the final race of the day but a disastrous 7th place relegated them to third place behind Oman Sail Masirah. Loick Peyron’s Oman Sail Masirah scored a 4th, 2nd, 6th, 1st and 3rd: “A great first day for us,” said Peyron. “Really happy to have Freddy Carr back in the team. The wind was light as expected and that makes the start really important, especially in these really short and sharp races. We are second after day one, only 3 points behind Ecover and we are ready to pounce!”

The Audi Sailing Team Germany, formed to specifically train for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, clearly relished their first Extreme Sailing Series experience: “This is simply incredible!” said Oliver Schwall, Team Leader. “We filed our entry into this event on such a short call last week. And now we are here racing and seem to be quite competitive. The team worked all night the last days to make this happen and the boys onboard did a nice job today. The light wind for the first day played into our hands because we still need to learn a lot how to handle these ‘firing’ machines. The Extreme Sailing Series is a great platform for our sport and we thank the organizers and the host city for their support. The next racing days with the wind forecasted to increase again promised to be super!”

Kiel.Sailing City
Situated on the Baltic Coast in northern Germany, this iconic sailing venue plays host to the German round of the Extreme Sailing Series at the halfway stage of the 2010 circuit. The city of Kiel, home to the famous Kieler Woche, is well used to hosting other international ISAF endorsed events and the crowds turn out in their thousands to watch the Extreme Sailing Series Kiel. In 2009, in pouring rain, over 45,000 people watched the action for the three day event and in 2008 in glorious sunshine, over 80,000

 

 

Up and coming French solo sailor Louis Duc today announced his withdrawal from the 2010/11 VELUX 5 OCEANS. Constrained by a lack of time and struggling to find sufficient financial support, the 26-year-old from was left with no choice but to concentrate on the 2014/15 edition of the race.
Race director David Adams said: “Louis is a promising solo sailor with lots of talent and it is a shame he will not be joining us for the 2010/11 edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS. We sincerely hope to see Louis on the start line of the 2014/15 race and wish him the best of luck in the meantime. I am confident Louis will go on to become a prominent name in solo ocean racing.”
Eight ocean racers from seven nations are now set to be on the start line of the gruelling 30,000-mile round the world race, dubbed the Ultimate Solo Challenge. They are:

The eight ocean racers are now entering the final preparation stage before assembling in La Rochelle, France, on September 26 ahead of the race start on October 17. Each skipper will shortly be setting off on their qualification passages before making last minute modifications to their Eco 60 yachts. A system of high-spec video and still-image cameras along with a satellite broadband link-up are also being installed on each yacht by onboard media specialists Marine Camera Solutions.
The VELUX 5 OCEANS, run by Clipper Ventures PLC, is the longest running solo round the world race, and has 28 years of rich heritage as the BOC Challenge and then the Around Alone. This edition features five ocean sprints over nine months. After setting off from La Rochelle to Cape Town, the race will then take in Wellington in New Zealand, Salvador in Brazil and Charleston in the US before returning back across the Atlantic to France.
www.velux5oceans.com

 

Scheduled for 1400 hours local time, the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race took place bang on target. The English punctuality didn’t favour Groupama 70, who were delayed following a collision with another boat whilst still tied to their mooring. Setting off around fifteen minutes late, Franck Cammas and his crew powered away and managed one by one to overtake 25 of their 27 rivals in some rather harsh sailing conditions and a light worthy of Beken of Cowes. 

First to cross the start line, ICAP Leopard and Telefonica Azul put on an exceptional display, firing off at 25 knots into the Solent, the sound which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland. Despite being over 30 foot longer than the VOR 70, ICAP Leopard, with Sam Davies navigating, got irreparably left behind, as did the rest of the fairly assorted fleet.

During this time, the crew of Groupama 70 attempted to quickly hoist their mainsail. Delayed following a failed manoeuvre by a competitor, which damaged the bow of the VOR 70, Franck Cammas could only watch, powerless, as his main rival, Iker Martinez, skipper of Telefonica, took flight. A double Olympic medallist in the Forty Niner, the Spaniard couldn’t have wished for a better start.

It remains to be seen now how the skipper of Groupama 70 will react. Prior to the start, the newcomer to the VOR category had this to say: “We’re here to drive the men and Groupama 70 into a corner, as well as to see how we measure up against an experienced, high performance crew”.
Having racked up a 5-mile deficit from the outset, Cammas had no other choice but to attack. He too tracked making 25 knots of boat speed, creating fabulous plumes of water in his wake, the skipper was clearly ruling Groupama 70 with a rod of iron.

Once across the Solent, the imposed route will call for a series of tack changes under spinnaker. Favouring a more northerly course, Jean-Luc Nélias, Groupama 70’s navigator, was the first to put in a gybe. It’s a manoeuvre which, in the breeze, requires perfect synchronisation. Unfortunately this element may well have been somewhat lacking aboard Celox 40, which lost her mast.

With the wind set to remain very steady, the competitors will continue to traverse the English Channel at pace, zigzagging between the numerous cargo ships picking their way across it. Suffice to say that in these conditions, any minutes spent sleeping will be both rare and precious if they are to keep performing well… 

 

Crew of Groupama 70
1. Franck Cammas, skipper
2. Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator
3. Laurent Pagès, watch leader
4. Magnus Woxen, watch leader
5. Charles Caudrelier, trimmer
6. Erwan Israël, trimmer, under 30 years of age
7. Martin Strömberg, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
8. Sébastien Marsset, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
9. Mike Pammenter, bowman, under 30 years of age
10. Martin Krite, bowman, under 30 years of age
11. Yann Riou, media crew 

 

About the race:
 Distance to cover: 1,802 nautical miles
 Direction of the course: clockwise
 Best race time since 1976: Artemis (IMOCA 60) in 7 days and 4 hours
 Largest of this year’s boats: ICAP Leopard measuring 30 metres
 Smallest of this year’s boats: Arethusa measuring 10.9 metres
 Number of VORs competing: 2
 Start: Cowes, Monday 23 August 2010 at 14:00

 

1400 local time, Monday 23^rd August, ICAP Leopard, the record breaking British 100ft supermaxi will begin the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. ICAP Leopard, owned by Helical Bar plc Chief Executive Mike Slade, will look to break the current RORC race record of seven days, four hours, 29 minutes and 40 seconds set by IMOCA 60, Artemis Ocean Racing in 2006.

 

At  

ICAP Leopard’s crew will be made up of the usual collection of established ocean racers, including leading solo round the world sailor Sam Davies, who currently holds the monohull course record of six days, 11 hours, 30 minutes and 53 seconds. Sam broke the course record with fellow round the world sailor Dee Caffari aboard the IMOCA 60 Aviva in 2009. This year sees a highly competitive fleet, including Telefonica Azu’s VO70 and the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing, meaning the crew will need to push the boat hard to ensure line honours.

Mike Slade, commented: “Once again we have a great team onboard for this classic offshore race. Sailing around Britain and Ireland produces some of the most complex weather systems in the northern hemisphere, so we’ll have to be on our toes to ensure we give ourselves a chance at beating the record.”

Sam Davies, revered round the world sailor, said: “As current course record holder and having sailed the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race a number of times before, I cannot wait to get started. The nature of sailing around an island means that the weather systems are not consistent in direction and therefore produce very changeable weather. This makes it all the more challenging and one of the most interesting offshore races around.”

Starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line in the Solent, ICAP Leopard will head out of the Solent and along the South Coast, past Bishop Rock before heading north into the Celtic Sea. Leaving Ireland to starboard, the journey will then see the boat begin a 230 mile open water leg past St Kilda and the Flannan Isles. Through changeable and challenging weather conditions, the boat will continue around the Outer Hebridies, past Muckle Flugga and then down the East of the Britain. Having dodged the busy shipping lanes and oil rigs in the North Sea, the crew will undertake a final push past Dover finishing at the Royal Yacht Squadron line.

Following the success of the virtual Rolex Fastnet Race, Virtual Skipper is giving sailing fans the opportunity to race the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland course against ICAP Leopard virtually. With 10,000 people from around the world having already registered, a fun and competitive race is guaranteed.

Following a hectic yet highly successful UK corporate charter season in the Solent, ICAP Leopard is once again on the move!

 Mike Slade and his crew are currently about to embark on yet another challenge…..this time the team will be put through their paces whilst attempting to become the fastest monohull to sail around Britain and Ireland.  This iconic event, considered to be one of the most challenging races in the world, begins at 14.00 hrs tomorrow (Monday 23 August) from Cowes.

Updates can be seen throughout the race at www.leopard3.com (simply click on the ‘Round Britain & Ireland Race’ link on the home page)

 

 

Hello from Spirit of Canada
The summer months are flying by as we continue with our offshore training sessions and preparations for the Velux 5 Oceans this October. I now have almost 10,000 nm and six training sessions on Spirit of Canada ECO 60 and I am very impressed with the performance of the boat. As you can imagine, sailing with 3 or 4 other sailors on a boat designed to accommodate one person has created some interesting scenarios but I will keep those stories for the book. Each session has taught me valuable lessons about the performance of the boat and how it can be pushed. I feel very confident about our preparations at this point.
One of the training sessions was as a race participant in the Route Halifax St. Pierre Ocean Race; we covered the 340 odd miles in under 30 hours; setting a new race record and receiving line honours for the effort. The race was not without event as we struck a log while sailing at about 12 knots and did some minor damage to the keel fairings. The boat is slated for repairs and will be hauled out next week at East River Marine here in Nova Scotia where Philip Young and his professional boatbuilding and repair crew will bring the boat back to racing trim.
The title sponsorship hunt has proven to be daunting and even though we continue to put names on the hull and conduct training sessions thereby reducing the price of the title sponsorship, we have not been able to secure that elusive support. The budget situation is becoming critical as we need to order new sails for delivery before the start. But we are staying focussed on the start line in October. Any suggestions and or referrals with regard to securing potential sponsors are very welcome.
Stay tuned for more regular updates as we approach the Velux 5 Oceans race start on October 17th 2010.
Take care,
Derek