Sam Goodchild takes 2nd place in first race of the Le Havre Allmer Cup
by Sam Joseph 24 May 2014 22:11 BST
23-29 May 2014
Sam Goodchild finishes 2nd in the Allmer Cup © Emily Harris Photography
British sailor Sam Goodchild, on his boat 'Team Plymouth' has finished 2nd in the first race of the 6-day Allmer Cup in Le Havre, France. Goodchild and 23 year old Henry Bomby on 'Red' are the only Brits taking part in this regatta. The young solo offshore sailors will be racing their identical Beneteau Figaro II boats against some of the best in the sport.
Sam Goodchild, Team Plymouth: "This event will be great practice for the first 3 hours of every leg of next month's Solitaire du Figaro. Gaining miles in the Solitaire is not easy and if you can have a good first few hours before racing offshore it is going to help massively compared to setting off already a mile or so behind".
Unlike most Figaro races where Goodchild and Bomby spend 2-3 nights alone at sea, the Allmer Cup is a week of inshore and coastal racing. The young Brits are among a fleet of 21 sailors taking part this year. For Bomby it's the first time he will be competing in the whole Championship of France, made up of three events - The Allmer Cup, La Solitaire du Figaro and the Azores Race. His performance over the next 6 days will count towards his overall ranking this year.
Henry Bomby, Red: "All the good guys are here as it is the first really important solo race of the year. The Allmer Cup should be a really good week of speed testing. Personally, I have changed my rig settings a bit recently so I will continue to work on that during the week and fine-tune everything before the Solitaire so I am comfortable and confident in them. It is essential when you have little boats close by for reference during longer races like the Solitaire."
With the start of the Solitaire in Deauville now just a couple of weeks away, this regatta is providing both Brits with some valuable time on the water. You can follow this week's event on the Le Havre Allmer Cup Facebook page, www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=796830017001702&set=pcb.796831023668268&type=1&theater. The results and photos will also be posted on the individual Facebook pages, www.facebook.com/samgoodchildracing and www.facebook.com/henrybombysailing.