General rehearsal
It is on the imposing semi-rigid of the Beijaflore team that the afternoon begins. As the crew of the day launched the Diam 24 from the hold and moved to the outer harbour of Le Havre thanks to its electric outboard motor, we followed the trimaran aboard the motor boat. This is an opportunity for Laurent Berjon, technical manager of the Beijaflore team, to explain to me the program of this afternoon's training, on the eve of the Normandy Cup. This is the dress rehearsal for the Normandy event and beyond, for the Tour de France à la Voile. "Today, we are testing the coastal raid configuration, with Guillaume Pirouelle at the helm, Jason Saunders at the helm and Julien Villion as navigator-tactician. "
Launch for the Marauder's rally
Installation of the electric outboard
First settings
As soon as they leave the port, the Beijaflore trimaran is sailing with its competitor SFS, giving the crews the opportunity to compare their speeds at different speeds. On these one-design yachts, the possibilities of adjustment are limited and every detail counts. On board the semi-rigid, an attentive eye is focused on the shape of the sails. The ruler has even been extended to measure the edge tension on the Diam 24. Beijaflore's team seems satisfied.
A blank regatta
The boats accompanying the crews on the water agree to anchor a course. I will therefore wait until the end of this first training regatta to board the trimaran, in order to give the crew the opportunity to fine-tune their settings in racing conditions. There is a little air at the beginning of the regatta, but the site effects under the Norman cliffs and the current do not make things any easier. To top it all off, the wind is gradually dropping. Beijaflore nevertheless managed to win the training round.
Start of the training run
Diameter drive 24
Promising sensations
It's time to get on board. With less than 5 knots of wind, even a Diam 24 becomes difficult to move forward... Nevertheless, we make a few tacks, crew downwind and moving forward as much as possible to limit the wet surface. The wind definitively dropped and several teams returned to shore. On our side, we do not lose hope and a few tens of minutes later, our patience is rewarded. The wind comes in from the sea. With a little over ten knots of wind, the boat fleetingly climbs to 10 knots. Unfortunately, it is time for me to return to port. If the conditions were frustrating, I can easily imagine the potential of the boat with more air. Come and meet the public on the Normandy Cup and the Tour de France à la Voile to appreciate the performance of these small trimarans.
Julien Villion is looking for the wind
