Thursday, April 18, 2019
Various Classes - Les Voiles de St-Barth - St-Barthélemy FRA - Day 3 - Local Knowledge Pays Off for Round the Island Race
For yesterday’s tricky Round the Island race, local knowledge paid off for the race veterans that knew how to successfully navigate the challenges on the 24–32nm courses around St-Barth’s rocky cliffs in a 12–15kn northeasterly with 30° wind shifts. Here the results, the day 3 report, the photos and the event website.
Today is lay day, racing resumes on Friday and lasts until April 20.
Perfect conditions prevailed yesterday at the start of the 10th anniversary edition of Les Voiles de St-Barth for the 66 entrants in nine classes racing around the west side of St-Barth on racecourses ranging from 24 – 36 nautical miles in 15 – 20 knots of breeze. Read the 
Meanwhile, all 68 two-person teams have finished the first important Mini event of the 2019 season with Fréderic Denis/Luke Berry FRA as winners as reported yesterday. The best Series Mini with Jezequel/Hantzperg FRA crossed the line as 4th, followed by Simon Koster SUI/Henrik Witzmann GER on 6th overall. Yesterday afternoon, Juliette Graf SUI terminated her first Mini offshore regatta teaming with Olivier Desport FRA on the 38th position. 
Winning leg 3 of this two-person team regatta, Yann Eliès FRA/Samantha Davies GBR finished on top of the Sardinha Cup overall rankings, i.e. the inaugural regatta of the new Figaro-3-Class equipped with foils. Lois Berrehar/Thomas Rouxel FRA on rank 2 finished just one point ahead of Xavier Macaire/Achille Nebout FRA on 3rd. 
This morning at 2h UTC, Fréderic Denis/Luke Berry FRA finished first in the 320nm lorient Mini race 15min in front of François Jambou/Pascal Viefet FRA. Another 30min later, Axel Trehin/ClémentBouyssou FRA crossed the finish line as 3rd. Mathieu Gobet/Fred Moreau SUI are 3h10min behind on rank 12. Up to now, 17 of the 68 two-person teams completed the race. Juliette Graf SUI/Olivier Desport FRA on the 35th position had 15nm left this morning. 
Yesterday, Pietro Luciani ITA and his team crossed the finish line of leg 2 at the port of destination La Rochelle FRA as first. The overall victory of this West - East Transatlantic Regatta goes to Aymeric Chappellier FRA and his team keeping 17 minutes from their advantage in leg one of this race. On rank 3 followed Kito De Pavant FRA/Alex Pella ESP. 
61nm are left for Yann Eliès FRA/Samantha Davies GBR still leading this morning UTC in leg 3 of the Sardinha Cup and now also in command in the overall rankings. New on rank 2 are Xavier Macaire/Achille Nebout FRA 2nm behind. On rank 3 followed Arthur Levaillant/Pascal Bidegorry FRA. 
In Lorient FRA, the Mini 650 season was kicked off with the first race of the year, the Lorient Mini for two-person teams over 215nm. By this morning UTC, 70nm were completed, mostly in very light winds with Frédéric Denis/Luke Berry FRA leading the 68 boat fleet, just one mile ahead of François Jambou/Pascal Fievet FRA. 
Pietro Luciani ITA and his team are still in front of the fleet now reduced on 10 Class 40s, but Aymeric Chappellier FRA new on 2nd has shortened the backlog on 8nm. The calms over the Bay of Biscay Bay are decelerating the boats and the gaps are decreasing. 173nm were left to the finish in La Rochelle FRA this morning UTC. 
31 two-person teams were finally ready to start to the third and last leg of the Sardinha Cup yesterday in moderate winds around 10kn. This morning UTC, the Figaro 3 fleet was still closely together with the Vendée Globe skippers Yann Eliès FRA/Samantha Davies GBR on first one mile ahead of Corentin Douget/Corentin Horeau FRA and Arthur Levaillant/Pascal Bidegorry FRA neck and neck. 
No changes in the positions of the leading trio this morning UTC with Pietro Luciani ITA and his team on first but with a reduced advantage of 17nm on Kito De Pavant FRA/Alex Pella ESP, closely followed by Aymeric Chappellier FRA. The fleet is about to pass Cap Finisterre at the most north-western point of Spain in slackening winds during this morning reducing the gaps between the boats. 
Pietro Luciani ITA and his team remains on first with a 25nm advantage on Kito De Pavant FRA/Alex Pella ESP new on 2nd. The overall leader Aymeric Chappellier FRA follows closely behind on 3rd. On their ride direction La Rochelle FRA, the Class 40 were favored so far by well-established rear winds, but today, the fleet will enter a lull zone reducing the gaps between the yachts. 
Today a 13h UTC, the start to the third and final leg 3 of the two-person Sardinha Cup will be given. The 33 Figaro 3 foiling yachts will be underway on the 322nm course during roughly 2 days. Moderate winds have been announced. 
The fleet is making good speed in rear winds around 15kn and after two days underway, the three overall leading boats are again in the first positions.
As reported yesterday, the start to the third and final leg of the Sardinha-Cup, planned for Tuesday, had to be postponed to repair the numerous mostly minor equipment defects on the Bénéteau Figaro 3 foiling monohulls. Based on the progress made, it has been agreed that the start will be given tomorrow Thursday for a 200nm round course off the French Atlantic Coast, a roughly 30-hour race for the remaining 33 two-person teams, including 6 mixed gender with most experienced offshore team members. 
Yesterday on the Acores, the start to the second leg of the Défi Atlantique - the West to East Class 40 Transatlantic Race to La Rochelle FRA - was given, and after 20 race hours, the leg 1 winner Aymeric Chappellier FRA was again on first this morning UTC, 8nm ahead. 
The start to the third and last leg 3 of the Sardinha Cup, planned for today Tuesday, has been postponed to the coming weekend. The 
The slackening winds in the approach to the finish provoked major position changes yesterday. Winners after 2 days and 2 hours were Pierre Leboucher/Erwan Tabarly FRA 3 minutes ahead of Martin Le Pape/Thierry Chabagny FRA. Loïs Berrehar/Thomas Rouxel FRA followed on 3rd with a 4:46min backlog. The best mixed two-person team of Samantha Davies GBR/Yann Eliès FRA is on 4th. 
No change on top of the rankings after 2/3 of the course completed in a fresh 20kn breeze with Charles Caudrelier/Fabien Delahaye FRA leading this morning UTC closely followed by Arthur Le Vaillant/Pascal Bidégorry FRA one mile behind. 
After Aymeric Chappelier FRA and Cathrine Pourre FRA having arrived yesterday morning UTC, three more teams completed leg 1 of the Transatlantic W-E race during the day. As expected, Kito De Pavant FRA/Alex Pella ESP finished on 3rd with a 33hrs backlog. On the ranks 3 and 4 followed the teams of Andrea Fattini ITA and Miranda Merron FRA. The lull patch before the final approach to the Acores stretched the fleet considerably.
Charles Caudrelier/Fabien Delhaye FRA were leading this morning in the 405nm leg 2 of the Sardhina Cup with an advantage of one mile on Benjamin Schwartz/Cédric Pouligny FRA and Tom Laperche/Ronan Treussart FRA. The mixed-team Justine Mettraux SUI/Gwenolen Gahinet FRA follows 4nm back on rank 9. Fresh winds between 15 und 20kn keep the 33 teams still in the race busy. 
Shortly after press deadline yesterday morning UTC, Aymeric Chappellier FRA and his team crossed the finish line off Horta/Acores as winner of leg 1, as expected. 8 hours later, Catherine Pourre FRA and her team arrived at the port of call. The rest of the fleet was still underway this morning UTC. With an advantage of over 60nm on the following boats, Kito De Pavant FRA/Alex Pella ESP will most probably arrive next as 3rd.
