This year, November a Hyères accommodates at its heart the Championship of France FFV featuring 8 leading one designs: Melges 24, Surprise, Selection, Fun, Open 5.70, Neptune 6.25, Microphone and Corsair, in a gathering of 135 competitors come from 8 nations. At the forefront of this amazing international competition, the Melges 24 Championship brings together 33 English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swiss and French competitors.

The first race was run in a light north wind, which abruptly veered to the East where it firmly established itself. It was Maxime Paul/Big Ship who benefited best from this shift to win the race, in front of Christophe Barrué/Eurovoiles and Bruno Jourdren/D' Aucy. For the three following races the wind force varied from 8 to 15 knots, varying slightly in direction in races 2 and 3, but the Race Committee of Michel Vialet reacted quickly and modified the courses efficiently to the greatest pleasure of the competitors.

Bruno Jourdren/D' Aucy took the second race in front of the Hyérois Christophe Barrué/Eurovoiles and Italian Massimo Bernasconi/Banca BSI. Bruno Jourdren reinforced his position by taking the third race from the Hyérois Pierre-Yves Lambert/Doctor I Gaulo and the mixed Anglo-Rochelais crew of Cédric Pouligny/Gill. Finally in the fourth race Cédric Pouligny/Gill were victorious, in front of Eurovoiles and Italian Luca Stefanini/Farmhouse Amantes Ing Lease. At the end of the first day, Bruno Jourdren leads overall from Euro-voiles.

On returning ashore the day was concluded by a traditional Pasta Party from the COYCH organizing club for the regatta. The championship is providing an incredibly high quality of sailing and right now the results are wide open. One notes the important presence of several exciting new Italian Melges 24 crews, in particular the Destremeau brothers (famous in both one design and open class sailing) along with Gerard Navarin (Hobie 18 World Champion), who are classified 6th overall at the end of the first day.

Source: Fiona Brown