Tour Voile Day 7: Young Lorina ‘Mojitos’ steal Limonade’s Fizz as Morbihan duo close in

2018 Tour Voile - Day 7 © Jean-Marie Liot / A.S.O

The second Coastal Race of the 41st Tour Voile, a complicated back and forth passage in the rocky, very tidal Passage de la Deroute between Barneville-Carteret and Jersey saw a runaway victory for Lorina Mojito-Golfe du Morbihan.

The young amateur trio on board, trimmer Solune Robert, 22, helm Louis Flamant, 21 today, and three times Youth World Champion Charles Dorange, 20, finished a massive 15 minutes and 51 seconds ahead of their professional counterparts, the 2016 Tour winners Lorina Limonade-Golfe du Morbihan. Amateur team Homkia-Nil-Les Sables d'Olonne took third.

While it was a strong statement of intent by the two Golfe du Morbihan teams, for the Tour leaders Beijaflore it was to prove a long, hard day on the water with no big recovery possible for them after they were 12th early on. Beijaflore, still the 41st Tour Voile leaders crossed the line tenth. They see their overall lead cut right back to just one point by the Lorina Limonade-Golfe du Morbihan team. The Limonade crew completely dominated the 2016 Tour are on the ascendancy and today comprised Delapierre, Kevin Peponnet and top Figaro racer Corentin Horeau. They have now been on the podium in five of the opening six events, 3,3,3,2,5 and today 2.

The winning skipper today Solune Robert of Lorina Mojito Golfe du Morbihan recalled, "We took the lead early on and extended our lead by keeping it simple and by being efficient in terms of sheer speed. In the end, we were lucky in a transition, which explains why we were so far ahead of those chasing us at the finish. But we needed to be out in front to get that luck. We're pleased with our work today. We'll be trying to continue like that to win the Barneville-Carteret Act."

The first two very tidal legs the cards for the day to a great extent. On the building ebb tide the fleet split wide open even on the short passage to the first 'engagement' mark. Lorina Mojito-Golfe du Morbihan stole the lead on the third leg, getting the layline right to the Les Grunes West Cardinal mark where they were able to accelerate away with the increased breeze and current and extend away from Stevie Morrison, Thierry Douillard and Ali Al Balushi on #sailingarabia.

On the upwind stage parallel to the shore from Eau Sannes La Bougette passing the Barneville and Caterets beaches the cards were reshuffled as the breeze proved very patchy. Both Beijaflore – up to third by this point - and #sailingarabia were caught by the pack as the wind died away and favoured the boats inside of them.

For Morrison and the #sailingarabia crew it proved to be a second consecutive frustrating Coastal Race. In eighth at the finish they made points on Beijaflore which finished two places behind in tenth but to have been second for so long early on in the five hours coastal race and be unable to hang on to the finish line was again down to the light winds transition zone working against them.

Bernard Stamm and his Cheminées Poujoulat crew were in the money most of the way around the course and finish fifth. And just as the pros on 'Limonade' had to be content to finish behind their younger contemporaries on 'Mojito' so #sailingarabia saw their development team on Oman Sail – today with F18 ace Gurvan Bontemps steering – finish ahead of them in sixth. #sailingarabia drop to fourth on the leaderboard now two points behind Lorina Mojito-Golfe du Morbihan.

And Quentin Delapierre, skipper of Lorina Limonade-Golfe du Morbihan, paid tribute to his young counterparts.

"Seeing our mates on Mojito dominate the coastal race in that way was very pleasing. Our second place is priceless. This morning, we'd have given anything to achieve that. This coastal race was very long and we needed to keep at it and never ease off. We regained some points over Beijaflore, but it's a tiny victory, as there is a long way to go in this Tour."

Racing at Acte 3 Barneville-Carterets resumes Friday with Stadium Racing before the Tour Voile heads to Baden on the Golfe du Morbihan for the weekend.

Find out more at www.tourvoile.fr