Adecco Maxi OD - Grand Prix de Lorient Day 2

French dominate the second day of Grand Prix

It was a day of complete triumph for Le Defi Bouygues Telecom Transiciel, steered by Bertrand Pace on the waters where he normally practices with his America's Cup challenger. He was unbeatable in both races of the French Grand Prix at Lorient. In the generally light breezes of Les Correaux de Groix, Pace showed the other sailors he was master of the eight boat fleet competing in the fifth event of the Adecco World Championship for the Maxi-One-Design class.

He won as he pleased, leading both races from the first mark and never looked in any danger of being passed. It was the performance of a top sportsman in form, and on this form Pace looks set to take the overall prize at the French Grand Prix. He is 13 points clear of the two who are his rivals, series leader Ludde Ingvall (EUR) with Skandia and Ross Field (NZL) with RF Yachting.

His first race victory was a stunning performance which was heralded when Pace aimed his boat at the pin end of the starting line and sailed out from under the lee of the rest, simply because he was up to full speed when the gun fired. He was only once headed on the first beat, by the winner of the previous day's first race, Field in RF Yachting crossed on starboard tack.

Pace ducked astern of him and when both boats tacked again, it was the French team who were well ahead. Then came the demonstration of what practice has done for the America's Cup challengers. Pace judged his tack into the weather mark, with a slight current forcing him to leeward, absolutely perfectly and was able to stretch another boat's length away from Ingvall in Skandia.

That was to prove vital in Pace's overall strategy. Ingvall was bothered by the attention of Christian Wahl steering Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghimax (SUI) and gybed away to get clear air. This opened a bigger gap for Pace, who not only pulled away from Alinghimax, but also gained on Skandia as Ingvall had taken his boat to the unfavoured side of the course. The series leader lost a place on this run and rounded the leeward mark in third place.

The eight boats sailed a triple windward/leeward course with legs of two miles. The wind was veering slowly but constantly and necessitated a 20 degree change in the windward leg the third time. By then, the French boat was well ahead, and by the last turning mark was two minutes clear of the pursuing pack.

The race marked a return to form of Alinghimax, which was last in both the previous races, but with Pierre-Yves Jorand sharing the steering with Wahl, there was a crispness of tactics which made the Swiss boat competitive. There was a come-back too for Geoff Meek (RSA) with Rainbow Magic, who had been trapped by starboard tackers at the first mark, had to go round again and was last. By the second time around the windward mark, Meek was back up to fourth.

The second race was in lighter airs, no more than 5-6 knots, and after a double windward/leeward, there was a long run to the finish at Kernevel. Good starting again put the French in front and they went round the first mark 20 seconds ahead of Ingvall's Skandia with Fiel's RF Yachting third.

There was no place changing on the run and the leading boats went to the right, but Hans Bouscholte (BEL) in Synphony opted to go the other way on the second beat to windward. When the boats next crossed, he was close enough to Ingvall for the Europe skipper to cover him, and he had passed Field. These positions were maintained to the end of the race.

Finishing order:

Race three:
1. FRA  Le Defi Bouygues Telecom - Transiciel  Bertrand Pace
2. SUI  Alinghimax  Ernesto Bertarelli
3. EUR  Skandia  Ludde Ingvall
4. RSA  Rainbow Magic  Geoff Meek
5. ITA  Seac Banche  Guido Maisto
6. BEL  Synphony  Hans Bouscholte
7. NZL  RF Yachting  Ross Field
8. SWE  Team Henri-Lloyd  Gunnar Krantz

Race four:
1. FRA
2. EUR
3. BEL
4. NZL
5. RSA
6. SUI
7. ITA
8. SWE

Overall points without discard:
1. FRA  38
2. NZL  25
3. EUR  25
4. RSA  20.5
5. BEL  15.5
6. SUI  13
7. SWE  11
8. ITA  10

You may follow the races live on the internet site : www.adecco-championship.com/uk/