Grand Prix Petit Navire - Day 10

Stand-by or no Stand-by, that is the question

The 100 riders in the tenth edition of the Grand Prix Petit Navire were a little fatigued by events yesterday as six of the possible six scheduled races were run. Nevertheless they did spend this morning waiting for the wind to kick in and the desire to sail always wins over fatigue, especially in glorious sunshine swept along by a good breeze.

The Dragons weren’t able to race today, the wind not putting in an appearance until midway through the afternoon. As a result, yesterday’s general rankings count for today and it’s the Bunker Boys crew (UKR 8) from Odessa who take victory in the tenth Grand Prix Petit Navire Dragon.

There was no stand-by for the kitesurfers and opinions were split on whether the wind Gods would play ball this morning: some were sure that the thermal breeze would kick in at around 1500 hours while others were already preparing for the Naish soirée, scheduled by the organisation at 2000 hours… At around 1530 hours Ronan Jollé, race director, decided to launch the first race. Indeed the thermal breeze enabled the kites to fill and lift into the sky to the delight of the riders on the water. Conditions were naturally fairly tame as the wind didn’t exceed 13/14 knots, but four races were run at Kervell beach, at the entrance to Douarnenez.

For Bruno Sroka, provisional champion at the end of the day, it was like a home from home. “The wind will certainly pick up at around 1400 hours, if the clouds don’t bother us... But that’s not very likely”. Indeed, tonight he is still first in the ranking but he still remains prudent about the final result. The deficits between the frontrunners are small and the level of competition is very high. Bruno has been very regular in his performances on the water, but there are two kitesurfers from Southern France who are hot on his tail in the form of Charles Deleaune and Marc Blanc. “Each race is important and I’ll have to battle all the way to the finish as there’s still everything to play for” adds the Breton kitesurfer. Marc Blanc, the foil enthusiast, also did very well today and won a race. However, for him the competitive aspect is less of a draw. “Above all else I’m here to have fun and not for the competition. And I’m also here to compare the foil with a classic kite. I wanted to see if it works well and, given the results up till now, it’s not too bad”. Clearly the guys from the South were relaxed on the water, listening to some rock during the races, thanks to a waterproof Mp3 player. It’s well known that stress in competition is seldom useful so maybe this is the secret to their success!

D’Ortoli, Bridge and Adrien: who will be the queen kitesurfer?

The trio of women vying for the top three spots hasn’t changed at all: Fabienne, Steph or Caroline? The latter, Caroline Adrien, is the youngest of the three. The 21 year old rider is a local from nearby Plouvien and she’s been kitesurfing for just five years. Her talent, determination and the fabulous beaches located close to her home (Aber Wrac’h and Tréompan among others) have enabled her to make rapid progress and she is now among the top French kitesurfers. “After the Grand Prix Petit Navire, the second race in the French FFVL Championship, I’ll be going to Fréjus (Southern France) to participate in the third stage.”

Indeed the Grand Prix Petit Navire 2009 doesn’t just count for the Europeans but it is also the second of six stages in the French Course-Race championship. What is ‘Course-race’ you may ask. Ronan Jollé, race director of the 10th Grand Prix Petit Navire Kite, provides an explanation. “It’s a confrontation of speed. There’s a start line and a finish line. The aim is simple: you have to get to the bottom of the course as quickly as possible and then us organisers make things a little trickier by positioning some passage marks and gates etc. which must be respected… All in all it’s an imaginary circuit across this bay which spans 20 kms lengthwise and 10 kms across, which really enables us to get the most out of this fantastic toy that is a kitesurfer…”

Dragons: Racing with the planet

Fifteen nations are doing battle in the bay of Douarnenez, from the top names in the series to pure amateurs, from Dragon enthusiasts to rookies. Among these ‘rookies’, Servane Escoffier is sailing in the series for the first time aboard FRA 360, accompanied by fellow newcomer Bernard Stamm, and skipper Bruno Jourdren: “It was great! It’s always nice to come and do some contact racing, but added to that the atmosphere here is exceptional and the minute you’re in the bay you’re participating in an incredible spectacle as it’s such a beautiful fleet!” enthuses the Imoca 60 sailor from Saint Malo. And Servane has an extra reason to be happy about her trip to Douarnenez, as skipper Bruno Jourdren was very satisfied with their results: “We didn’t expect to do so well. It’s beyond our expectations, especially when you’re sailing against the regulars from the series, who have a very high international level. It’s always an enriching experience to play with people like that. You’re learning the whole time. These boats require as much finesse as fast, modern boats, it’s just another philosophy. Of course I’ll be back”.

FRA 360 ranked 12th and 2nd French boat, behind FRA 330 (Bruno Peyron), which was the first French boat and 8th in the general ranking. “I would have sailed well again today” confides the latter. “The confidence was growing and we were racing better and better”. As for compatriot Eric Drouglazet, he hadn’t set foot on a Dragon for a long time. The Figaro sailor was sailing with Louis Urvois and Gwen Chapalain on FRA 365. They rank 28th in the general. “The level is increasingly high and the French crew have their work cut out if they want to dethrone the Ukrainians and Russians. As far as I’m concerned, sailing at the heart of a fleet of nearly 100 boats is thrilling. I’m not used to it and the strategy required to round the marks is impressive! Added to that, casting off for a few hours is nice too.”

Casting off is just what the Royal Yacht of Denmark, the Danebrog, did at 1600 hours today. She left the port of Rosmeur in blazing sunshine, as the three cranes in the port of nearby Tréboul began to lift out the Dragons at an impressive rate. In fact, in the space of two hours, nearly 100 Dragons were sitting on their trailers again, ready to begin their journey home by road.