| MARSEILLE, FRANCE-(10-4-2004) Walk down the famous `Canebière` Avenue, walk along the port on the left side, your eyes blinking in the shining Eastern sun of Provence… Just after the very typical Marseilles `Ferry Boat` and before the floating HQ of the Societe Nautique, a strange crowd of sailors in red, yellow, blue with white salty faces is active in cleaning, repairing, transferring equipments and sails….
Today the Melges Class enjoyed the pleasure of 4 races: the wind blew in a quite constant North West direction (320°) starting with an average 15 knots in the 1st race, and then constantly rising to 18 in the second, 21 in the third and about 25 in the 4th. As a summary, the performing organization of the SNIM seems now to have got control also of the wind and the sun!!! The only factor beyond control was the important waves in the southern bay.
Joe Fly `opened the dance` winning race 3. The team of Luca Santella is quite happy with their day: they have not trained since the Worlds in San Francisco, they make their first regatta with the Kevlar sails and they have two new sailors in the crew (a bowman and the tactician, Vince Brun) and however they are already in the top ten. Their target for the season is clearly the Worlds in Marstrand and every regatta in between (US National in Santa Cruz, several races in Italy) is a preparation for reaching this goal.
Sebastien Col and Partners & Partners confirmed today their excellent performance of yesterday, winning respectively race 4 and 5. Race 5 in spite of a strong wind remained very tactical due to the gusts. The crews with `cool head` and good balance (!) remained ahead.
Jamie Lea and Gill won race 6, (which was reduced in length) leading at the first buoy upwind and never giving way anymore after this. They showed again how `comfortably` they sail with strong wind. Jamie indicates they changed their settings just before the race and were quite happy about their choice.
Like often in these conditions, there were some shocks between the boats and some broken equipment. Thus the Badger (ex Muts Nuts) and Music 55 came back early to the harbour, Idris, Tanit, Transtec, Lapin Lapin also did… but every competitor respected carefully the 360 rule, which limits the number of protests and confirms if needed the good sport spirit of the class.
All the participants are confirming their pleasure of sailing in this high level regatta, with excellent conditions, top competitors and good organization. In addition Anne Marie Vola is ensuring for the Societe Nautique an excellent work with the regional and national press, bringing TV, journalists and photographs to the event.
Some newcomers to welcome in the class : Bertrand Keller (french-swiss), André Borona (Marseilles), Bernard Reynier and Daniel Guidice (both former sailors in 505). All of them were smiling after this very rich day, a very salty smile, of course…
But the best word of the day remains for Alina who - coming back to the dock - joked: `Can you please inform the jury that we are getting too old for that kind of 4-race- day with so much wind….` Alina being tonight 3rd at the general ranking. Maybe they are like French wine: the older they get, the better…
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