Adecco Maxi OD - Grand Prix de Lorient Overall

LE DEFI WINS FRENCH GRAND PRIX

LORIENT, FRANCE-With another commanding victory in the final race, Le Defi Bouygues Telecom - Transiciel, skippered by Bertrand Pace, won the French Grand Prix, the fifth event in the Adecco World Championship of the Maxi-One-Design class, in a convincing manner. Le Defi's record, after a second in the opening race, has been four consecutive wins, this last one by more than two minutes.

It has been the performance which should have been expected of an in-practice America's Cup crew, one which displayed considerable talent both in the boat handling and in the tactical ability. Bertrand Pace is an excellent helmsman and at this regatta he showed he was not lacking in any department.

His starting has been as near perfect as can be imagined and he proved this again in the final race by shouldering his way down the line towards the pin end with a confident swagger and holding off his opponents as he hit his maximum speed in the six knot breeze and then sailed away from the other seven boats. It was masterly.

Very soon, Pace had a clear lead and was able to chose such favourable wind shifts as came his way, and by doing so was able to build a sizeable lead. He rounded the first mark, after two miles, with a one minute lead over Gunnar Krantz of Sweden with Team Henri-Lloyd. Series leader, Ludde Ingvall (EUR) with Skandia, was third. Then came Hans Bouscholte (BEL) in Synphony, Geoff Meek's Rainbow Magic (RSA), and Ross Field's RF Yachting from New Zealand. At the back, Guido Maisto's Seac Banche was just ahead of Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghimax (SUI).

In the light winds, there was very little place changing, although Team Henri-Lloyd and Skandia swapped places twice and Rainbow Magic passed Synphony on the second windward leg. It was, however, a good enough contest for Catherine Chabaud, more used to sailing alone in Whirlpool Europe 2, a 60 foot monohull, to say of racing with Geoff Meek on Rainbow Magic, 'I enjoyed it very much. These are great boats. I want to come again.'

Other ocean racing champions who sailed on the Maxi-One-Designs during this event included Alain Gautier of the trimaran BrocÞliande who was on board the French boat, Lo´ck and Bruno Peyron of Fujicolor II and Explorer, Jack Vincent of the trimaran Banque Populaire and Michel Desjoyaux who sails the 60 foot monohull PRB. All have fallen in love with the class and what it has to offer.

The class now moves to Cowes for a series of five races, including one around the Isle of Wight, the course which gave rise to the America's Cup in 1851. That will be followed by the double pointed, 605 mile Fastnet Race which culminates the 1999 Adecco World Championship.

With a second place in the French Grand Prix, Ludde Ingvall's Skandia is the series leader, but behind him there is still a chance for Ross Field to overtake the man and his crew who have led from the outset. 'It was important for us that they (the Kiwis) didn't win this one,' said Ingvall, who has his eyes on the SF600,000 first prize for the championship. 'He can still beat us, but I am trying to make that very difficult,' he added.

Jeff Scott, who shares the steering of Skandia, said that it had been a hard regatta for the European entry. 'It is hard to sail defensively. We wanted to win, but after our bad first race, we knew we had to work hard to get back in front of Ross.' That they did promises a battle royal in the Solent and on the long haul to the Fastnet Rock and back to Plymouth.

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

French Grand Prix overall:

1. FRA  40 points
2. EUR  27.5
3. NZL  26
4. RSA  21.5
5. SWE  18
6. BEL  16.5
7. SUI  14
8. ITA  11

Adecco World Championship after five events (one discard):
1. EUR 50 points
2. NZL  38.5
3. FRA  31
4. RSA  27
5. BEL  20
6. SUI  20
7. SWE  19
8. ITA  7

Website: www.adecco-championship.com/uk/