The day started with a short postponement as the wind backed from the north to the west. Race one started in approx 6 knots of wind and the UK’s Paul Brotherton led the midline fleet by a clear boat length after an initial general recall. It rapidly became clear the right was right as the hot money headed into the shore and the wind made a further 30 degree left, sadly Brotherton went left and rounded the weather mark 18th. At the first mark it was Jamie Lea, helming for UK Melges 24 class stalwart Stuart Simpson aboard Team Barbarians, who just had his nose in front of Philippe Ligot’s World Championship winning Partner & Partners Sailing Team, sailing for the first time with rookie Melges 24 helmsman Francois Brenac. Hot on their heels was fellow Frenchman Thomas Rouxel in Cotes D’Amor Sail de Mer with the Austrian team of Michael Schineis fourth and IMCA Class President Henri Samuel fifth.

By the second weather mark Partner & Partners had snuck past Barbarians whilst behind them Italy’s Gabrio Zandona, helming for the reigning European Champion crew of Giovanni Maspero aboard Joe Fly, had pulled up from 7th to third. Close behind them was Schineis with Frenchman Antoine Albaret in Cotes D’Armor Perros Guirec pulling up two places to round fifth as Samuel dropped into sixth.

Despite Team Barbarian’s best efforts he was unable to get back past Partner & Partners and Joe Fly held onto third. The final run saw Andrea Racchelli make the most of the shifts moving him up from seventh to fourth with Schineis fifth and Rouxel sixth.

By the start of the second race the wind had increased to 8 knots and the Race Committee, ably headed by PRO Peter Rumbelow, signalled for three laps. Again it took two attempts to get underway and three British boats (Paul Brotherton, Martin Wedge and event coordinator Adrian Peach) eventually fell foul of the black flag. Right was still the preferred option and at the first mark the legendary Alba Batzill, fresh from winning the 6m Worlds and sailing Eddy Eich’s No Woman No Cry, led the fleet from Team Barbarians with Tim Collins in third, Antoine Albaret fourth and Andrea Racchelli fifth. Race one winner Partner & Partners had a disasterous start and rounded the first mark in the 40s.

Batzill confidently defended his position to the finish whilst behind him the pack did battle. The shifty conditions helped ensure plenty of place changes and although Barbarians initially hung onto second Racchelli eventually ground them down on the third lap. Up the second beat Rouxel had pulled into fourth place and he defended this to the line. Fifth place went to Stuart Rix, helming Team Gill for Britain’s Quentin Strauss, who dug in after a mediocre fifteenth at the first mark and took places on every leg. Back in the pack Partner & Partners worked every little shift and gust and proved that, even though they hadn’t set foot in the boat for over a year and had only had half an hour’s practise, they still have what it takes and moved steadily through the fleet from 40th to 11th. Joe Fly also suffered a lousy start in this second race but despite their best efforts could do no better than 31st.

In the overall standings Jamie Lea and Team Barbarians lead with 5 points from Andrea Racchelli in Altea on 6 points. Thomas Rouxel in Cotes d’Armor Sail de Mere is third, Philip Ligot’s Partner & Partners Sailing Team, helmed by Francois Bernac, is fourth and Stuart Rix, with Quentin Strauss’s Team Gill, lies fifth.

This event is sponsored by Title Sponsor Ocean BMW, Gold Sponsor WKD Original Vodka Blue, and Silver Sponsors Devoti Sailing, North Sails UK Ltd, Westaway Sails and Musto Ltd.

Source: Fiona Brown