Having launched no fewer than seven starts in the gulf with visibility fast disappearing, the three Race Committees ruling at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez opted to send the crews back to port after running out of their favourite fuel, the breeze. The perfect opportunity then to focus on tomorrow’s action, delve into the provisional overall ranking on the eve of the final day of racing and stroll along the quaysides.
Having launched no fewer than seven starts in the gulf with visibility fast disappearing, the three Race Committees ruling at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez opted to send the crews back to port after running out of their favourite fuel, the breeze. The perfect opportunity then to focus on tomorrow’s action, delve into the provisional overall ranking on the eve of the final day of racing and stroll along the quaysides chatting to enthusiasts of Les Voiles, who would not have missed this race meet for all the world
“Low wind but great win!” A familiar sight among regatta sailors, the ‘Answering’ pennant fluttered for quite a while on the Committee boats this morning, waiting for the wind to get into position so they could launch the start procedure for the Modern yachts, before losing its head as the Classic yachts set sail. It was the same scenario among the Maxis off Les Salins… Tossed about in the swell, the 250 crews patiently bided their time and at 14:25 hours, after consulting with the Principal Race Officer Georges Korhel, the decision was taken to cancel play. At that very moment, the news came in about Ineos Britannia’s victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Needless to say, that the beer will be flowing this evening, particularly among the British crews competing at Les Voiles, as they celebrate their nation’s qualification as challenger to the New Zealanders in the 37th America’s Cup. “Low wind but great win!” sums up today’s action for Sir Peter Ogden. On his return to the dock this evening, the owner-helm on the Maxi Jethou was all smiles about the British hopes: “Ben (Ainslie) is a guy we know well aboard. He’s a friend and he’s often sailed with me on Jethou . We all had YouTube on our phones as we waited for the breeze to kick in today and once we saw that he’d nailed the start, we knew it was going to be historic.” Maxis: Firm leaders but suspense continues to reign With just 4 points in five races and one second place, Lyra in Maxi B, competing for the Trophée La Mer, is in the most enviable position because, with just one coastal course to go, she can no longer be caught by Geist or Kallima , who will be embroiled in a bitter duel for second place tomorrow as there’s just one point between them. There is more suspense in Maxi A (Trophée Byblos) for Jolt , which has a four-point lead over Jethou , the latter posting the most consistent performance of the line-up with five second places. In Maxi C, where two windward-leewards are scheduled, Wallyño number two may still be in with a chance of pulling off the double after her victory in 2013. To achieve this, she’ll have to ensure that the leader, Yoru , is astern of her as just two points separate them at this stage. Finally, in Maxi D, Trophée BRIG, the British boat Six Jaguar has sailed consistently every day since Monday and may well take the win in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez on her debut performance.