Tour Voile...the Kiwis will be back to face the French Armada

by Isabelle Musy on 9 Mar 2001 There is definitely a growing interest in sailing Mumm 30's and
participating in Tour Voile. Nearly 60 teams have pre-registered for Tour
Voile 2001. Which is an increase as there were 42 in 1999 and 52 in 2000.
Two third of the pre-registered entries should line up in Le Havre on the
29th of June for the prologue. The 1988 participation record could be
broken.

The America's Cup holders will be back and will face many top professional
French teams eagerly willing to win the trophy back. Other European teams
should also be a threat.

There will also be a number of high level amateur teams. And, as
traditionally in Tour Voile, there are some special projects promoting
extra-sporting values. The student category is also growing.


The even growth of the three categories enhances Tour Voile's unique
character. That is a big cosmopolitan gathering of all type of sailors.
Ocean racers as well as match-racers and Olympic sailors. Top professional
and amateurs. French and foreigners. Two key words for one event :
performance and passion !


OVERALL RANKING: A HIGH LEVEL (19 pre-registered entries)

After cancelling their participation at the last minute last year because of
their team partly falling apart, the America's Cup holders have decided to
come back. They eager to win after having been so close to do so in 1999
when Luc Dewulf's 'Kateie' sailed to victory in the protest room. 'The Tour
is a special event for us, nice for team building as we sail in slightly
different roles and we meet different people', says Tom Schnackenberg.
Besides Tom, the team will be composed of the best sailors of Team New
Zealand : Dean Barker, Hamish Pepper, (both 2000 World Match-Racing
Champions 2000), Frenchman Bertrand Pacé, Mike Quilter (recent winner of The
Race aboard Club Med) , Cameron Appleton Š

There might be one or two America's Cup Challengers to face the Kiwis. As
well as some strong European teams who shall be a threat.
For the first time Italy, the country of the Mumm 30 European and World
Champions, will participate in Tour Voile. Imperia's Federico Michetti set
up a team called 'Italia' with some of the 'Seven Team' European Champion
crew.
There should be two Italian teams as Filippo Mennuni as also pre-registered
with his boat called 'Admiral.co'.

Swiss skipper Etienne David and his crew aboard 'Ville de Genève Carrefour
Prévention' will try their best to keep on climbing on the points score
board as they've been doing in the past two years.


Foreigner will have to sail compete against many determined top level French
teams with high profile both ocean and Olympic sailors. These teams have a
busy training program participating in the Mumm 30 circuit and the FFV
Championship.


Frenchman Alain Fédensieu, 2nd in Tour Voile 2000 and winner of the
'Championnat de France de Course au Large' on the same year will seek for
revenge aboard 'TBS-Marseille'. Fédensieu hired Olympic sailors such as
49ner helmsman Dimitri Deruelle who both participated in Sydney Olympic
games. Fédensieur has also chosen young talented match-racer Nicolas
Charbonnier (recent Junior World Match-Racing Champion).

Jimmy Pahun aboard 'Région Ile de France' will also be one the favourites
with people such as ocean racer Isabelle Autissier.

Jean Pierre Dick aboard Saint-Raphaël -Generali is determined to try and win
the regatta. There for he has set up a top professional team. Dick will
reveal his crew members names next week.

After winning the amateur ranking in 2000, Vincent Portugal aboard Cassis
has chosen former Tour Voile Bernard Mallaret to be the skipper of a 3 years
program in order to win Tour voile.

Former 49ner world top ranked Marc Audineau and Julien Farnarier along with
Marc Bouvet, and Sébastien Col (Melges 24 European Champions) and Dominique
Vittet (former winner of the single handed-race La Solitaire du Figaro) will
sail together aboard Ville d'Antibes.

All the mentioned teams above are confirmed entries.

AMATEUR RANKING: TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM (20 pre-registered entries)

The amateur ranking includes many teams who participate in Tour voile year
after year but also new projects. Duncan Robinson's British team and his
skipper Daniel Jones are seriously training in order to attempt to win the
amateur ranking aboard 'Panther AMG'.

Solo ocean racer Frenchman Marc Thiercelin, who fourth in the last Vendée
Globe and second in the former one, will have show-business personalities
sailing aboard his boat 'Cinema'.

There are also some special projects such as 'Tepacap' which successfully
participated last year with young people facing social difficulties.


The aim of 'Le Défi sport adapté' is to give disabled people a chance to
enjoy sailing and competing.


The amateur ranking will also include an all-woman crew aboard 'Aux Filles
de l'eau'.



STUDENT RANKING : A GROWING INTEREST (21 pre-registered)

There is a growing interest among the student sailors as 21 teams have
pre-registered. Half of them have already confirmed their registration.

For the first time a foreign student team will participate in Tour Voile.
The British Royal Yachting Association is entering a team called 'British
students'.



A big nautical show will be set up with the help of Tour Voile's faithful
sponsors AGF, SONY France (main sponsors), Sun Microsystems, Seat, Bouygues
Telecom (official sponsors), M6 and France Info/France Bleu (media
partners).

Tour Voile
124 Bd Haussmann
Tel: + 33 1 40 44 69 27 30
Fax: +33 1 40 44 69 27 37
e-mail: tourvoile@aol.com