Minis Inflation
Finally, they will be seventy to take the start on Sunday, July 30th in Les Sables d’Olonne (France) to Horta (Azores). One 2.600 NM round trip through the Azores high pressure. Minis definitively have found an extremely tactical and demanding playground with this new event.
We already knew that the circuit has been expanding for 15 year, 650 6,50 metres boats fitting with the Mini Rules are registered at the Classe Mini, a relatively balanced fleet between prototypes and production boats. This year, almost 100 boats have raced the Mini-Fastnet from Douarnenez to Fastnet Rock in mid-june, when 63 were competing in the Mediterranean sea…
Most of them used this race as qualification for the race Les Sables d’Olonne – The Azores – Les Sables d’Olonne. Indeed, every solo sailor had to complete 1500 NM, including 500 NM in races to qualify. Finally, they will be 70 solo sailors for this first edition of the race. The balance between prototypes and production boats is almost respected as there are 34 sailors with Pogo 6,50, Zeros, Super Calins and Dingo when there are 36 prototypes built between 1991 ( n°444 _ Spot) and 2006 (n°650 - Jason). Regarding the designs, more than 19 designers are present !
Among this Mini people which then gather 70 skippers including twenty-four foreigners coming from fourteen nations (Germany, Australia, Belgium, Spain, United States of America, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Singapore). Neither women are rare ! Besides, the Classe Mini is probably the most open to women (more than 8% of the members are women, either as skipper or crew). Among the famous women sailors, a lot of them came through this Offshore Solo Racing school, like Isabelle Autissier, Anne Liardet, Catherine Chabaud, Ellen MacArthur, Jeanne Grégoire, Samantha Davies, Karen Leibovici…
Prologue on wednesday
After one week of preparation and animations on the Vendee Globe pontoon (starting on July 23rd) and a prologue in the bay of les Sables d’Olonne (July 26th), the start will be on Sunday, July 30th at 12.30 local time towards the Azores, in Horta (Faïal island), harbour that will welcome the solo sailors. One not very easy trip because skippers first will have to get out of the Bay of Biscay, manage the passage of the Cape Finisterre, cross the cargo ships rail before landing in the nine islands archipelago of the Azores. Horta is the marina of the western island of the centre group and at the end of this trip, skippers will have to avoid interferences of these volcanic plugs. It should take tehm between six and nine days before arriving for a stopover of one week in the Azores. After two days of unofficial regattas during the Sea Festival (August, 12nd, 13th), skippers will then take the way back on August 15th to see again the jetty of Les Sables d’Olonne.
Prototypes ranking for the prologue in the Sables d’Olonne :
1-Didier Le Vourc’h (Vecteur Plus)
2-Adrien Hardy (Brossard)
3-Anthony Marchand (Hinano)
4-David Sineau (Bretagne Lapins)
5-Peter Laureyssens (Ecover)
6-François Duguet (Crédit Agricole Skipper Challenge)
7-Isabelle Joschke (Degrémont)
8-Yannick Allain (Night Fever)
9-Ronan Deshayes (PCO Technologies)
10-Jean-Marie Vidal (Jason)
Production boats ranking for the prologue in the Sables d’Olonne :
1-Romain Vidal (Bingo)
2- Mathieu Girolet (Le roi du matelas)
3-Fabien Sellier (Surf Rider Fondation)
4-Vincent Barnaud (Masoco Bay)
5-Bertrand Catelnérac (Alan France)
6-David Krizek (Atlantik FT)
7-Jean-François Quelen (Gallanz)
8-Hervé Piveteau (Jules)
9-Stéphane Le Diraison (Cultisol)
10-Thomas Bonnier (architecture élémentaire)
More information on :
http://www.lessables-lesacores.com/
English information every two days
DBo. & AM.
 vendredi 28 juillet 2006
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Fabienne Robin est arrivée
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