Yann Guichard and The Spindrift Racing Crew celebrate inagural win on the MOD70 Championship (Photo by Lloyd Images)
Yann Guichard and Léo Lucet appreciate the results all the more because a year and a half ago, the Spindrift racing project was a sporting, technical and logistical idea jotted down on a blank sheet of paper. The boat is solid and reliable, the technical team is competent and expert, and the pure talent of the heavyweight sailing team are the ingredients of certain success. The sleek black and white trimaran showed its mettle throughout the different exercises, from the transatlantic race to the long coastal races, through speed runs and inshore courses. Léo Lucet, executive director of Spindrift racing and Yann Guichard are more than satisfied with this resoundingly successful entry into a class that they sincerely hope will develop and grow internationally.
Victors of two of the five legs, two City Race victories, Speed Match victories and bonus points at the departure of each leg, as well as a New York-Brest transatlantic crossing that was achieved in a record time… the whole team on sea and land can be complimented on a remarkable job. “The human aspect of the project is amazing,” states Yann Guichard. “It was a collective adventure, gathering together competencies on the water and logistical talent on land, and it all worked according to the high standards I set. No individual egos or guest stars in this group. I have built a story with people who are engaged and committed to the project, who share my drive and motivation and way of working.”
The program for this first MOD70 season was ambitious, with the Krys Ocean Race and the European tour, made to measure for the international potential of a new class of boats that must seduce a host of new partners. “This format is fantastic,” claims Léo Lucet. “It’s an exceptional international communications tool which worked wonderfully in New York and at every European tour city stopover. VIPs and journalists alike were able to sail with us, and the general public, a stone’s throw away from the boats, really enjoyed the show. The objective, which we reached, was to make the discipline spectacular to demonstrate the excellent visibility it offers to sponsors and partners.”
“It was a real sporting pleasure,” adds Guichard. “Exhausting, demanding – exactly what we, sailors, want.” Guichard, Lucet and the whole sailing team on the black and white catamaran, Pascal Bidégorry, Yann Eliès, Erwan Tabarly, Jacques Guichard, Sébastien Marsset, Jean-Baptiste Levaillant, Devan Le Bihan, Thierry Douillard, Kévin Escoffier, Christophe André, Frédéric Brousse, Nicolas Charbonnier as well as the team on land, Philippe Echassoux, Tim Carrie, Florent Le Gal, Nicolas Débordès and Astrid van den Hove rose to the 2012 challenge.
With its solid team, proven knowhow and indisputable talent on the water, Spindrift racing has climbed the charts in record time. The most immediate next challenge for the young company is to find a partner for MOD70 Nr 05, in order to share strong and motivating values. “Given our results, our media successes and the public’s enthusiasm for this new class, we hope to succeed in this too,” comments an optimistic Guichard.
The five trimarans all finished the races brilliantly, with no more serious incidents than the usual encounters with unidentified floating objects. This year Spindrift racing will have sailed some 15,000 miles, with an astounding mean speed of 28 knots last summer. No small feat and quite a reference in terms of dependability.
“We still aim to progress further”, concludes Guichard, “in all areas – sports, technical, human. We are optimistically and impatiently looking forward to 2013.”
Spindrift Racing in Newport (photo by George Bekris)
General classification Multi One Championship 2012
1 – Spindrift racing EUR (Yann Guichard, FRA)
2 – FONCIA, FRA, (Michel Desjoyeaux, FRA)
3 – Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, FRA (Sébastien Josse, FRA)
4 – Race For Water, SUI (Stève Ravussin, SUI)
5 – Musandam, Oman Sail OMA (Sidney Gavignet FRA)
Rank Krys Ocean Race 2012
1- Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard)
2- Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse)
3- FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux)
4- Musandam, Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) a
5- Race For Water (Steve Ravussin)
Rank MOD70 European Tour 2012
1- FONCIA avec 284 points
2- Spindrift racing avec 282 points
3- Race For Water avec 244 points
4- Musandam-Oman Sail avec 242 points
5- Groupe Edmond de Rothschild avec 228 points
MOD70 2012 Speed Trials in NYC (Photo by George Bekris)
The KRYS Ocean Race Skippers (Photo Courtesy KRYS Ocean Race)
From New York City on July 7th 2012 at 1100hrs local time a total of thirty crew on board the five MOD70’s Race for Water, Foncia, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Spindrift Racing and Oman Sail set out on sailing’s big new adventure. Leaving from the foot of the iconic Statue of Liberty the teams take on the KRYS OCEAN RACE, 2950 miles across the Atlantic in the brand new fleet of evenly matched one design MOD70 trimarans.
The race pitches some of ocean racing’s best known, most successful characters against each other on a no holds barred sprint, pushed by the prevailing winds, which should see the top teams span the Atlantic from New York to finish in Brest, in the heart of the Tonnerres de Brest maritime festival, in only six or seven days.
The KRYS OCEAN RACE aims to chart a new era for the sport of ocean racing: fast, exciting evenly matched competition which can be shared with the media and the public at large.
The line up is revealed in Paris
Paris, Wednesday May 10th and the KRYS OCEAN RACE skippers Steve Ravussin (Race For Water), Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), Sebastien Josse (Groupe Edmond de Rothschild), Yann Guichard (Spindrift Racing) and Sidney Gavignet (Oman Sail) today presented their crews at the official race launch where honoured guests included Marco Simeoni, who is President of Multi One Design, Joel Platt, Brand Director at KRYS and Patrick Appéré the Deputy Mayor of the City of Brest with responsibility for sports.
Over recent months the MOD70 crews have been immersed in the preparation process, not just of their machines but of their own crews. For in this intense one design ocean race, talent and teamwork will be tested to the fullest.
The skipper is the lynchpin, the conductor charged with making the team work and now the skippers have revealed their line up, their crews of six who will take to the start line on July 7th.
Among the 30 sailors, the aim will be the same, to take the top step of the podium in Brest as winners of the inaugrual KRYS OCEAN RACE. Among those selected are Jeremie Beyou, Sébastien Col, Pascal Bidégorry, Jean-Baptiste Levaillant, Antoine Koch, Thomas Rouxel, Yvan Ravussin, Jeff Cuzon and Britain’s record breaking Brian Thompson, hand picked by skippers Steve Ravussin, Michel Desjoyeaux, Sebastien Josse, Yann Guichard and Sidney Gavignet for this first race of the Multi One Championship.
Team line ups:
Race For Water: Steve Ravussin (SUI) – Yvan Ravussin (SUI) – Loic Forestier (SUI) – Francois Morvan (FRA) – Benoit Lequin (FRA) + one invited sailor
Foncia: Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) – Xavier Revil (FRA) – Emmanuel Le Borgne (FRA) – Antoine Carraz (FRA) – Beyou (FRA) – Sebastien Col (FRA).
Edmond de Rothschild Group: Sebastien Josse (FRA) – Antoine Koch (FRA) – Espagnon Christophe (FRA) – David Boileau (FRA) – Florent Chastel (FRA) – Thomas Rouxel (FRA)
Spindrift racing: Yann Guichard (FRA) – Jacques Guichard (FRA) – Billy Besson (FRA) – Pascal Bidégorry (FRA) – Jean-Baptiste Levaillant (FRA) – Leo Lucet (FRA)
Oman Sail: Sidney Gavignet (FRA) – Loik Galon (FRA) – Jean-Francois Cuzon (FRA) – Brian Thompson (GBR) – Fahad Al Hasni (Oman) and / or Al Khamis Anbouri (Oman) and / or Mohsin Al Busaidi (Oman)
Other than the outstanding high level of competition, the KRYS OCEAN RACE forges into new waters as the very first transocean race to be sailed in equally matched one design cutting edge multihulls. Over the 2950 miles of the course from New York to Brest the high pace will be continuous and intense. In essence it will be contested at sprint rather than marathon speeds, hence the way the crew manage themselves will be absolutely vital.
Race director Jacques Caraës explains: “As long as the usual high pressure system is in place, as it usually is in July, the fleet of MOD70’s should write a new chapter in ocean racing history and for sport in general thanks to the incredible pace and the intensity of the racing.”
Media at the heart of KRYS OCEAN RACE
It promises to be an exciting, engaging story. To share it with the greatest number of people is at the heart of the Multi One Championship ethos. Multi One Design are already unfolding a media plan which which is set to draw a large French and international global audience. Already key agreements have been reached including Eurosport International, Sport RMC, BFM TV, and M6.
RMC have embraced the world of sailing as media partners of the KRYS OCEAN RACE with highlights on RMC Daily Sport between 1800hrs and 2000hrs when journalists focus on the day’s main sports stories. A live one hour programme is planned on RMC between 1800hrs and 1900hrs, streamed in real time on the official website: www.krys-oceanrace.com. A short highlights summary will be broadcast daily from 6th to 15th July with regular updates through the day on BFM TV.
On 18th July Eurosport International will broadcast a 26 minute round up of the KRYS OCEAN RACE as a whole with distribution over all territories.
Overall TV distribution should reach over 200 countries with a potential reach of 350 million viewers.
Paris Match will be on the inside of the adventure with a multiple page feature to be released on June 28th in the world renowned magazine.
Complementing this activity and until it starts follow the KRYS OCEAN RACE through the official website www.krys-oceanrace.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
Quotes:
Joel Plat, Brand Driector at KRYS: “We are proud and happy to link the KRYS brand, and all of our 850 optician outlets, with this exciting human and sporting adventure that is the KRYS OCEAN RACE. New York at the start and the Tonnerres de Brest at the finish: two different worlds but they share a common bond. Then add thirty sailors who constitute the very cream of racing, enhancing our brand with all the drama and emotions, all this is already guaranteed for the first edition! Like these sailing teams, our teams at KRYS share the desire to exceed expectations, to provide complete customer satisfaction. We embrace and have such a strong belief in the strength and the values of teamwork. And so 300 of our opticians will come to New York to support the crews and they too will relay later this fabulous race through our network. Fair winds for the KRYS OCEAN RACE and thank you for the emotions that you let us share.”
Patrick Appéré, Deputy Mayor of the City of Brest with responsibility for sport: “Brest is delighted and proud to welcome these stars of the sea who will take on the New York / Brest KRYS OCEAN RACE! The first finishes will be big and popular since they will form such an important part of the Tonneres de Brest, our greatest maritime festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. In Brest, we tend to say that the city is the “sea par excellence.” But what is certain is that we love the great seagoing performances. Last January, more than 6,000 people turned out to honor Loick Peyron and his crew, new holders of the Jules Verne Trophy … this time we think there will be several hundred thousands to honour the achievement of the skippers and admire the MOD70’s docked at La Perouse, I am sure of that. Just as I am of the partnership with the organisers of the KRYS OCEAN RACE which will continue beyond 2012. See you in July for 2012 Tonneres de Brest . Long live the KRYS OCEAN RACE! ”
Marco Simeoni, President of Multi One Design: “After three years in the planning and building, the Multi One Championship will actually begin for real on July 7 and is a great moment for all those who have invested in this exciting new international circuit! The crews – Race For Water, Foncia, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Spindrift Racing and Oman Sail are prepared and poised, KRYS opticians are mobilised on our side, just as the City of Brest is ready to welcome our fleet of MOD70’s to the Tonneres de Brest. The scene is well and truly set, it only needs to start and for the fleet of trimarans to race this intense sprint contest on the Atlantic.”
Steve Ravussin, skipper of the MOD70 Race For Water: “Crossing the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Brest on board Race for Water, and being Ambassador of the Multi One Attitude Foundation, for us has a very special meaning. In addition to the competition on the KRYS OCEAN RACE, we are looking to educate the public about preserving the ocean against plastic pollution. My brother Yvan will be part of the crew and that’ll be great! ”
Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the MOD70 Foncia: “Building a crew of six feels like an impossible mission. You need people who steer, who trim the sails, people who are good on weather and strategy, people who love light winds, others prefer the breeze, in other words, its like trying to fit a circle in a square, to be good at everything, and more! And on top of those simple difficulties us six need to be happy to live and work together in 10 square meters, 24 hours a day seven days a week. Le Borgne and Xavier Revil, and I have known each other and we have collaborated since 2003, so that is straightforward. Beyou, has two Vendée Globe preparations and is used to working at higher speeds and has good strategy for downwind sailing. Antoine Carraz, is responsible for the boat and will be looking after all aspects as well as sailing.. Sebastien Col joins us this year and brings a rigor and an eye from America’s Cup and Match Racing world. With this team, Foncia is, I think, well armed for this KRYS OCEAN RACE, and we look forward to it.”
Sebastien Josse, skipper of the MOD70 Groupe Edmond de Rothschild: “In addition to experience, there are concepts of flexibility, commitment and pleasure that influenced the formation of our Groupe Edmond de Rothschild crew. The different race formats proposed by the Multi One Championship demands a balance between specialists and offshore racers some accustomed to shorter routes like City Races. So our crew is mixture of sailing’s different worlds. For the KRYS OCEAN RACE which is Offshore Racing, we will have to be independent at sea, which is why we favoured sailors with multiple skills like Florent Chastel, the bowman on board but also a rigger, or like David Boileau, who is one of our permanent members of the technical team. I also rely on very good helmsmen, whose quality will be a real bonus in this one design class. Christophe Espagnon, Thomas Rouxel, Antoine Koch represent three different backgrounds (Olympic sailing, Extreme 40, Figaro, 60 feet Orma …). Finally Antoine provides weather expertise as navigator. But even if each have their specialist field, the group is nonetheless even and interchangeable on board everyone is working for the team, egos and agendas are put aside. This is essential!”
Yann Guichard, skipper of the MOD70 Spindrift racing: “Spindrift is a young company dedicated to multihulls which aims to support and encourage projects in international competitive sailing. Our flagship is the MOD70 No. 05 Spindrift Racing. I am the skipper and have selected my crew with great care for this adventure. The result is a mix of experience, maturity, youth and passion. Pascal Bidégorry leaves nothing behind to make the finish line. His tenacity and his talents are assets that I really wanted for Spindrift Racing. Jean Baptiste Levaillant is certainly the one of the most experienced in racing. A trimmer and exceptional helmsman, he is meticulous, talented and versatile. Jacques, my younger brother, is a sought after and valued team member within a team, both for his skills as trimmer and for his adaptability to all positions. Leo Lucet is my right hand man at Spindrift MOD70 and is responsible for the project. He is effectively Executive Director for the company, but also the same aboard a trimaran, with considerable experience in offshore racing. It was only natural for me to ensure Leo is on the sailing team as a helm and bowman. Agile and brave, he is not afraid to work the bow. As for Billy Besson he is an excellent helmsman and fiery competitor, qualities of a seasoned sailor and his tenacity is typical of what I have on my crew. He is dynamic and intuitive, I have also asked him to be responsible for the media crew position ”
Sidney Gavignet, skipper of Oman Sail MOD70: “Oman Sail is not just a sponsor, it is a national project designed to project Oman as a tourist destination and create jobs around sailing. For us non-Omanis, our role is not only to look after and drive the boat but to promote an element of learning and education too. The personalities of the teammates are even more important. Jean-Francois Cuzon and Brian Thompson are the perfect example. Both very experienced offshore racing multihulls and they are also very quiet but they fully participate in the importance of sharing and passing on their knowledge. Loik Gallon has known Oman Sail for many years as he was the skipper of the trimaran around the world, sailing on board already with Mohsin Al Busaidi, the first Omani sailor to do a world tour non-stop. Mohsin will be at the helm on the KRYS OCEAN RACE. Khamis Al Ambouri is also one of the renowned Oman Sail sailors who has now the championship of the Extreme 40. With us he discovers the world of offshore racing. As for Fahad Al Hasni, the youngest, he is the product of Oman Sail, primarily on the Tour de France de Voile, he is always strong and focused! For this KRYS OCEAN RACE, I’m surrounded by a very well balanced and fit crew. Fun and smiles are the watchwords of our campaign … “
Start spreading the news ! New York will be start city for the new MOD70 class’s first ever trans-oceanic race when Race for Water (Steve Ravussin), Foncia (Michel Desjoyeaux), Edmond de Rothschild Group (Sebastien Josse), Spindrift Racing (Yann Guichard) and Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) set off on Saturday July 7th to take on the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE’S 2950 miles of racing between the evenly matched new one design, high speed 70 foot trimarans. Skippers Ravussin, Desjoyeaux, Josse, Guichard and Gavignet will lead their five strong crews across the North Atlantic to a finish in Brest, France.
Officially launched at the French Consulate in New York, today Thursday 26th April in the presence of the Consul M Philippe Lalliot and renowned American sailor Dawn Riley, the American program which forms the prelude to the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE promises a full complement of activities between June 28 and July 7 shared between Newport and New York.
From Newport to New York City
Ahead of this first true ocean challenge, a short prologue from Newport to New York should prove an exciting initial taster of what is to come, followed in New York by an afternoon of all-out sprints, the Speed Match.
A full menu of action and excitement is promised for the class’ inaugural visit to the USA, where the fleet musters in strength for the first time ever.
History in the making in Newport and New York
Though the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE will start from New York, the fleet will first establish itself in historic Newport, Rhode Island where the MOD70’s will be based at the Newport Shipyard marina between June 28th and July 2nd, not far from where the AC World Series finale runs 26th June to July 1st.
While based in Newport, the boats will be put through all their safety and technical scrutineering, vital checks which are all the more important given that once they are docked at New York’s North Cove Marina, the MOD70’s will be in full race mode, with no further work allowed to the boats beyond stocking them for the passage.
Prologue
For the five high speed trimarans, the 120 miles prologue races starts on Monday July 2nd from Newport – the world renowned sailing centre synonymous with America’s Cup – to a finish line off New York’s iconic Statue of Liberty where they would be due to finish July 3rd.
From the eve of the USA’s Independence Day, through the July 4th festivities, the fleet will have their home at Manhattan’s tranquil North Cove Marina.
Then on the afternoon of July 5th the fantastic five match up to see who will be New York’s sprint kings on the Hudson River, when Race for Water, Foncia, Spindrift Racing, Edmond de Rothschild Group and Oman Sail will take part in a speed match virtually at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. Race Director Jacques Caraës will be supported by the very active Manhattan Sailing Club under Commodore and Race Committee Chairman Michael Fortenbaugh.
The Race is On
But the excitement will peak for sure on July 7th at 1100hrs (LOCAL) when the French Consul in New York, Philippe Lalliot will be joined by the Mayor of Brest François Cuillandre to fire the start gun which will set off the KRYS OCEAN RACE across the Atlantic to Brest.
The gun marks the start of the first great oceanic adventure for the MOD 70’s and the 30 crewmembers, making history as the world’s first fleet of identically matched ocean racing one design multihulls goes head to head.
Over a course measured at 2950 miles, some of the world’s best ocean racers – some who are already winners of the biggest offshore races and records in the world – will finally compete at thrilling high speeds, on even terms over the ensuing six or seven days, fighting to be first across Brest’s finish line, into the very heart of the historic Tonnerres de Brest nautical festival.
Philippe Lalliot, Consul General of France in New York City : « The world of sailing, synonymous with epic journeys, but also with perseverance and endurance, is certainly one of those worlds that fire your imagination the most. Suspense and emotions will no doubt be part of this new, nautical adventure. I look forward to its opening impatiently and wish it the greatest success. »
Dawn Riley, Chief Executive Officer Oakcliff Sailing New York : “The MOD70 class already is full of French Rockstars and I hope that we will see an American Team joining them shortly. We are all very excited that these multihull machines will be in New York.”
Michael Fortenbaugh, Commodore Manhattan Sailing Club : “We have this incredible symbol which is the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French. We always dreamed that someday there would be a race that would start from beneath it and connect with France, which New Yorkers are so closely linked to. This has great symbolic meaning and is the benchmark for future races.”
Franck David, Chief Executive Officer Multi One Design S.A. : “Multi One Design’s ambition is to build the ultimate sailing class of reference in the world…To start the MOD70 story with the KRYS OCEAN RACE in New York City is the exact representation of what we want to buil : an international circuit, with exiting host venues, combination of City Races and Offshore sailing adventures!”
The U.S. program for the KRYS OCEAN RACE 2012:
Newport:
June 28 : Deadline for arrival of MOD70
July 2 : Start of the prologue
New York City:
July 3 : Finish of the prologue
July 5 : Speed Match
July 7 11:00 local: Official start of the first edition of the KRYS OCEAN RACE
Estimated arrival at Brest between 13 and 14 July 2012.
Oman Sail MOD70 (Photo courtesy Oman Sail)
Now we are six.
The latest in the MOD70 series Oman Sail was launched today Thursday, April 12 in front of a very excited, expectant team.Less than eight months from the commitment of the Sultanate of Oman to the Multi One Championship to the actual launch of their new one-design trimaran today, at the helm is Sidney Gavignet, one of the most international of French sailors!
The team took ownership of OMAN SAIL, their MOD70 today, setting out on the first stage of learning and training process which over the coming weeks will lead to the inaugural event of the 2012 championship season, the KRYS OCEAN RACE, which starts in less than three months.
Behind the name, OMAN SAIL pulls together a large, comprehensive project implemented under the leadership of the Sultanate of Oman, which aims to develop tourism and to highlight and expand the historic maritime tradition.
The one-design trimaran OMAN SAIL is a key aspect of this project: taking on international competition on different seas. Complementing, this, closer to home sailing schools are emerging throughout the territory.
Sidney Gavignet, skipper of the MOD70 OMAN SAIL, comments : “The OMAN SAIL project is very close to my heart and the support itself is a real honor. The idea of the Sultanate is to create a sailing industry which works in parallel to the business of tourism to develop jobs. Within our team, there are Omani sailors who are opening up to the challenges of the maritime world. Today our story continues with the launch of OMAN SAIL and here together I see in the eyes of my teammates a whole lot of emotion. This is a first for us all, a touching, important moment in our history together.”
On the sporting front, the crew of the MOD70 OMAN SAIL will use the coming weeks to train, learning how to to take control of their trimaran and at the same time to continue the selection of the crew who will participate in the KRYS OCEAN RACE. However, Sidney and his crew are not starting with a completely blank page as they have already taken the opportunity to complete two sessions of workouts aboard another MOD70, Race For Water.
Sidney Gavignet : “OMAN SAIL is undoubtedly the new kid of this fleet as it is the latest and newest boat to be launched before the KRYS OCEAN RACE. We still actually only have a little less than three months of preparation. However, we sailed in Race for Water completed a short apprenticeship, learning the ropes recent weeks. We will now continue this learning aboard OMAN SAIL. Soon we plan to be training from Port La Forêt with Foncia and Edmond de Rothschild Group in two weeks and then to follow up a training week off comprising some night sails, all the time logging crucial performance data. Certainly, other teams at the moment are more experienced but our OMAN SAIL crew are good. Our goal for this first race is to finish it and do our best to be in the best possible place. “
To kick-off this last day of the KRYS MATCH, race management opted for a 22-mile coastal course in the Baie de Quiberon so that the competing trimarans could really get the most out of their steeds! Five miles after a reaching start, it was Race For Water and Gitana 11-Edmond de Rothschild Group which tacked around the mark off Port Haliguen neck and neck, whilst Veolia Environnement and Foncia were involved in their own tacking duel. On the long tack under gennaker, which took the KRYS MATCH fleet towards the island of Houat, Gitana11-Edmond de Rothschild Group was forced to retire after the crew exploded their downwind sail. In the meantime, the three MOD70s took different options, which enabled Roland Jourdain and his seven crew to get the edge and get safely round the leeward mark, which later tripped up both Race for Water and Foncia. Veolia Environnement kept up the pace and held onto its leadership right to the finish line, Race for Water and Foncia respectively completing the ranking in this trek across the bay.
Current in play in the ultimate race:
It was at 1610 hours that the final race of the KRYS MATCH 2011 began with Gitana 11-Edmond de Rothschild Group back in the match. A formidable battle ensued at every stage in a wind oscillating between 10 and 15 knots, gradually losing power over the course of the day! With each mark rounding, the leadership changed, providing a fantastic spectacle off the Kerbihan headland for this ultimate victory by Gitana 11-Edmond de Rothschild Group, ahead of Veolia Environnement, Foncia and Race for Water!
Throughout these three days of contact racing, the crews of the three competing MOD70s, Foncia, Veolia Environnement and Race for Water, racked up some precious experience for the next stage in the MOD70 programme. Analysis after eight Races and eight Speed Match.
Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the MOD70 Foncia: “It’s good to be back racing on a multihull again! It had been a long time coming! With the crew of Foncia aboard the MOD70, the KRYS MATCH was our baptism of fire as we hadn’t really had much of an opportunity to train. On Thursday, we were caught a bit short in the breezy conditions. However, the reflexes are coming back quickly! We’re keen for there to be more of us. With three of us it’s great; with a dozen of us, it will be even better!”
Roland Jourdain, skipper of the MOD70 Veolia Environnement: “I’d really like to congratulate my crew. In human terms, these past three days have gone very well and it helps when we have to learn to deal with the highs and the lows, as we have done over the past three days. We had our best day on Thursday, before dropping down to the bottom of the leaderboard on Friday. Today, we’ve bounced back so that in itself it’s already a success because very quickly you can get caught up in a downward spiral! Competitively, it was full-on, with some top quality races. Congratulations to our rivals! Flat-out flying two hulls, we had an absolute ball! We didn’t win but we’re happy to have racked up so much experience. The trimaran is a discipline that I haven’t practiced for a long time and, with me at the helm, it was a major first. Roll on the next stage!”
Stève Ravussin, skipper of the MOD70 Race for Water: “We’re very, very happy, especially with the little crew training we had. For me the MOD70 is a magical, solid and robust boat. It’s a whole different philosophy for this strict one-design. We’re right in the thick of it and today we can see that the KRYS MATCH works! Next meeting in the KRYS OCEAN RACE in New York!”
Sébastien Josse, skipper of the prototype Gitana11 and future skipper of the MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild Group: “Aboard Gitana11-Edmond de Rothschild Group, we really enjoyed ourselves witnessing these fine battles on the water. It was a close-run thing! For us, this KRYS MATCH served as a warm-up. We’re eager to take possession of our MOD70 at the end of the month and take it in hand.”
First successful test for the circuit MOD70:
Marco Simeoni, President of the MOD Ltd: “I’ve just experienced three magical and unforgettable days! This KRYS MATCH was the opportunity for our KRYS partner and all the members of the Multi One Championship to share their first event together and show the public and our guests the MOD70.
Thank you to the 32 sailors who put on such a fine show on the water and to all the protagonists on the circuit: boat owners and partners alike for having actively participated in this KRYS MATCH! Thanks to La Trinité sur Mer for having played host to us, to the SNT and to all the volunteers on the water! Thank you to our Race Director Jean Maurel.
These three days in La Trinité sur Mer had several objectives for us organisers. First of all, the production of top-class content for improved visibility and optimisation of the MOD70 circuit. On top of that, validation of the race formats was a key factor. Finally, the audiovisual production was key for associating live footage and sailing. At the end of this KRYS MATCH, the three targets have been reached and I cannot help but be delighted by that!”
Next meeting in nine months’ time for the start of the KRYS OCEAN RACE, a crewed transatlantic race setting off from New York (USA) on 7 July 2012 bound for Brest in France!
