Mini Transat La boulangère 2019 (September 22)
The start of the Mini-Transat, which brings together 87 competitors ready to cross 4050 miles single-handed on the smallest ocean racing boats - just 6.50 m - was due to take place this Sunday 22nd September. However, due to the sustained wind and sea conditions in the Bay of Biscay and off Cape Finisterre, the start cannot be given before Wednesday at the earliest.
The 34-mile prologue in the Bay of La Rochelle replaced the start of the race on Sunday, allowing the 87 competitors to enjoy a warm-up lap. The boats left the Trawlers' Basin from 10am for a start given at 2.15pm.
Although there was no sporting challenge, the course nevertheless allowed everyone to check one last time that everything was working well on board or to take on board a few guests.
D35 Trophy (September 21-22)
The last round of the D35 championship took place in Geneva with nine races. Six races were run on Friday and three on Saturday afternoon. The boats enjoyed light airs between 5 and 8 knots during all the races.
Realteam Sailing, led by Jérôme Clerc, had a remarkable weekend, finishing four points ahead of Ylliam - Comptoir Immobilier and Alinghi, second and third respectively on equal points. In the overall standings, Alinghi, who could not be worried, finished with nine points and won the D35 Trophy for the 8th time.
This Grand Prix thus marks the end of an epic that began in 2004, but also the beginning of the TF35, the new foil multihull.
Sail GP (20-22 September)
This Friday 20th September marked the opening of the Sail GP Grand Final in Marseille. The very irregular south-easterly wind and the increasing power of all the teams created conditions favourable to many changes of leadership. The French team finished 4 e of this first round, with first place going to the Australians.
For the second day of the Grand Final in Marseilles, it was rain, storm clouds, air holes and sudden wind shifts that handed out good and bad cards on the race course. The Australians and Japanese qualified for the Grand Final and the French were satisfied with their progress.
At the end of the three days of the Marseille course, Tom Slingsby's Australians won the $1 million grand final. The French took the victory in the one and only fleet race run in light airs today, a superb performance. They finished on the 5 e marching from the general podium.
40 Malouine SACIB (20-22 September)
For this first edition, the 40 Malouine SACIB gathered this weekend in Saint-Malo 13 Class40, including 2 classified in the Vintage category.
After a first major double-handed race of 180 nautical miles, covered in less than 24 hours, the fleet had an appointment this Sunday 22nd September for 2 coastal races, this time with a crew. The Malouin Luke Berry and his co-skipper Tanguy Le Turquais won 2 of the 3 races, thus claiming victory in this first edition.
Imagine (Jörg Riechers and Cédric Chateau) and Crosscall Chamonix Mont-Blanc (Louis Duc and Aurélien Ducroz) complete the podium in the overall ranking.
The Azimuth Challenge (September 18-22)
The 9th edition of the Azimuth Challenge took place from 18 to 22 September 2019 in Lorient. It was an opportunity for racers and spectators alike to see the latest brand-new IMOCA boats compete, a sort of life-size training session before the Transat Jacques Vabre.
As a preamble, the runs on 18th September, which brought together the 21 starters in the Lorient harbour, took place in 20 knots of wind and in a small chop. Some of the competitors peaked at 30 knots, when Charal (Jeremie Beyou and Christopher Pratt), winner of the day, averaged 26 knots. PRB and Arkéa Paprec completed the podium.
The next day, the 48-hour Azimuth was launched off Lorient in summer conditions. On the programme was a 665 mile course given at 1300 hours and a Charal still in the lead after 90 miles of racing, with an average speed of over 22 knots. In fact, it is the first of the new generation IMOCA boats (NDRL: launched a year ago) to win at the end of these 48 hours, in the lead from start to finish.
On the drift boat side, Apicil surprised everyone. The 2007 Finot Conq design led by Damien Seguin (already 6th in the Route du Rhum) and Yoann Richomme finished fifth and was clearly sailing a notch above downwind. PRB (Kévin Escoffier &Nicolas Lunven) and 11th HOUR Charlie Enright & Pascal Bidegorry completed the podium.
