It's true that the weather has not been very good (shifty winds / rain...), but competitors did fight like lions : the turns at the marks have been very strategical, also because there are only 6 boats in the regatta : you can't afford to miss the moments !

To win today, according to Benoit Briand on K-Challenge 2, `we had to take good starts, or fight in the fleet to take the second place`; which pays for Cavale Bleue who took the second place in all the races, and so is now first in the provisionnal general placing : regularity is very rewarding !
Thierry Peponnet, skipper for Cavale Bleue, adds : `wet day, but we have fun, the regatta is very interesting : touches, war of position in the starts, with the goal to be upwind and to put the other boats on the wrong side, and for example for us K-Challenge One`.

Dawn Riley takes the second place in the provisionnal general placing, she's nearly happy to sail under the rain, which seems to bring her luck. `We didn't feel really good in the first race, and this is what is incredible on this boat : everything completely changes thanks to motivation from a race to another : there was no reason that it has to carry on` (6th place in the first race and 1st in the 2 other ones!!).

On Paul Cayard's side, he did a fantastic first race with Atalanti X, the second sees him at the last place because the spinnaker of the boat touched the mark on the finish line, which nobody seems to have seen... and which gave the advantage to Dawn. Careful, as he doesn't plan to leave things where they are !

So we got it, boats have a very similar speed, so the tactics make all the difference.

Competitors are at least now in the heart of the competition, and this is what we needed ! The rythm is now on, and surprises are still on their way in the regatta area. The weather will be better tomorrow, let's see if the conditions will influence the competitors will to win, which is already pretty strong !!!

Provisionnal General placing after 3 races :
 
Boat name / Sail number / Owner / Helmsman :
 
1 - Cavale Bleue - FRA 18043 - Duquenne / Péponnet
2 - K-Challenge One - GER 7331 - Kandler / Riley-Fédensieu
3 - Wolf - GBR 45R - Williams / Powell
4 - Atalanti X - GRE 46 - Andreadis / Cayard
5 - K-Challenge Two - FRA 18831 - Kandler / Charbonnier
6 - Grooverdeci - USA 46950 - Demourkas / Larson
 
TV images :
 
 
1) Highlights courts / EBU / 3'
00 00 00 : Atmosphere in the harbour before the leaving of the boats / leaving of the boats for the race area
00 22 00 : IT Paul Cayard, skipper of Atalanti X
00 44 00 : IT Thierry Péponnet, skipper of Cavale Bleue
01 12 00 : Start / 1st race
01 33 00 : 1st upwind leg
01 58 00 : winward mark
02 24 00 : Cavale Bleue / Thierry Peponnet at the mark
02 49 00 : Finish : Atalanti X wins 1st race
 
 
Highlights longs
03 09 00 : Atmosphere in the harbour before the leaving of the boats / leaving of the boats for the race area
03 58 00 : IT Paul Cayard, skipper of Atalanti X
04 20 00 : IT Thierry Péponnet, skipper of Cavale Bleue, start of the downwind leg
04 50 00 : Start / 1st race
05 14 00 : 1st upwind leg
06 14 00 : winward mark
07 50 00 : Cavale Bleue / Thierry Peponnet at the mark, start of the downwind leg
10 00 00 : leeward mark
11 02 00 : Finish : Atalanti X wins 1st race
 
 
Serte uplink 18h30 to 18h45 French

time on 9, 10, 11 and 12/10 (16h30 – 16h45 GMT)

and 13/10 11h00 to 11h15 French time for prize giving ceremony and final results (9h00 - 9h15 GMT)

+ satellite Eutelsat W3. (Origine : Samipa / St Laurent du Var towards Globecast Paris via optical fiber) :

·        Encoder :4.2.0 PAL

·        Satellite : EUTELSAT W3 7°Est

·        Transpondeur : C4

·        Downlink Freq : 11283 mhz

·        Polarization:   Vertical

·        Symbol Rate : 27.5

·        FEC : 3/4

Source: Stephanie Nadin - K Yachting