© Photo : Jacques Vapillon \ n.c. Démâtage de Pierre Denjean (Oufti) Press release Hammer down!! As predicted, the northeast wind has strengthened off Cape Finisterre. In a confused seaway, the Minis have significantly accelerated, surfing from wave to wave with a few pauses in between - more or less under control. Leading the fleet, Nicolas Boidevezi (GDE) broke his bowsprit allowing Jörg Riechers (Mare.de) and Bertrand Delesne (Prati'Buches) to escape. For Pierre Denjean (Oufti) it’s unfortunately the end of the race after his dismasting. At 25 to 30 knots, the wind is up a notch and the fleet took a funny kick in the pants. And any good Mini Sailor knows in these conditions you must keep pushing hard, but with care to preserve your boat. So the fleet leaders are showing good speeds in excess of ten knots. But in a confused sea, it’s difficult to avoid the bow burying itself in the next wave - the stern broaches away, rudders stall and lose control, and the speed plummets. Playing this game, it seems some have more luck or mastery than others... Nicolas Boidevezi has broken his bowsprit in three pieces. The carbon spar is - for now - beyond repair and the skipper of G.D.E. must sail without spinnakers. It's obviously a disappointment for him, with his seventh place in the Transat 6.50 in 2009, starting with the ambition for a podium position. For now in these heavy conditions, the distance lost is not crippling, but the punishment may be far more severe if the wind eases slightly. But perhaps Nicolas can find a makeshift repair. The ingenuity of single handed skippers - and especially Mini skippers - is inexhaustible. Endgame For Pierre Denjean (Oufti), even the most subtle stroke of genius and ingenuity will not enough to enable him to reach the Azores. At 800 miles from the Azores and less than a hundred of the Galician coast, the most obvious decision is retirement. He will try to reach Bayona (Ria de Vigo). No doubt in the bar and armchairs of the Real Club Nautico of Bayona, one of the most exclusive Spanish coast, he’ll be disappointed, but eventually the pangs of disappointment will diminish. Pierre was sailing under spinnaker when he heard a noise in the mast before seeing his spar broke in two. The disappointment is even greater than many of his classmates, as he started this race with next to nothing hoping to get to his destination safely. Other competitors have came close to incurring Neptune’s wrath- Sebastien Picault (Kickers) came out of a dizzying surf and buried his bow, throwing the skipper against the companion-way. Result: pains in the chest that could be a cracked rib. But "Pic" is tough, he can bear a lot of pain and has not backed off the pace so far. Véronique Loisel (De l’Espace Pour La Mer) also has some autopilot problems. Nevertheless, she remains at a very respectable seventh place in conditions that are not necessarily the best for his boat. Sunny Days In series, Xavier Macaire (Starter) continues to inspire the other skippers. Jean-Marc Allaire (Baker Tilly AG2R La Mondiale), Amaury Francois (amauryfrancois.com) and Ysbrand Endt (Médiabrein) chose the southerly route, while the closest competitor to the north Bruno Simonnet (El Nono) continues to put up a strong resistance and is keeping well in touch with the first five. This little pack slips along with great speed (and undeniable pleasure!) watching their machines eat up the miles that separate them from the Azores. Wind, sun, speed – it doesn’t get any better that that! Finally, Thomas Normand (Financière de l’Echiquier) left La Coruna after a little more than twenty-four hours stopover. Having considered for a time whether or not to replace a faulty fuel cell with a generator, he finally decided to change it. With more than 300 nautical miles behind the leaders, Thomas cannot expect miracles. But his aim was also to gain miles and offshore experience for the 2011 Transat 6.50. Sailing at the tail end of the fleet, away from potential competitors is not necessarily the most pleasant exercise. But it is an excellent test of character. Once he’s passed this test, there is no doubt that Thomas will be back, stronger than ever...  jeudi 5 août 2010 Brèves : Fabienne Robin est arrivée Vol 774 pour Les Sables Bruno Simonnet et Marc Vertes sont arrivés Benoît Lenglet est arrivé Les trois mousquetaires Vidéos : Clip vidéo Remise des prix 28 août aux Sables Arrivée de Véronique Loisel aux Sables Arrivée de Pascal Chombart de Lauwe Téléchargement : ... Embarquez ... :  Vous souhaitez embarquer sur un bateau accompagnateur... RSS feeds Réalisation : Adonnante.com | Design : fabienne.est.une.indienne | Hébergement : BleuRoy.com