Following the traditional exhibition parade along the canal connecting Caen to the sea, the 50 skippers set sail today on this the 15th anniversary edition of the Normandy Channel Race. The Race Committee released the fleet of Class40s bang on schedule in summery conditions at 13:10 hours local time, kicking off with a figure of eight course around the Baie de Seine, off the mouth of the River Orne, between the cardinal marks at Luc sur Mer and Ouistreham. It was a gentle start weatherwise but still hotly contested and, true to form, it’s shaping up to be a technical, tactical and demanding race to round off the 2024 season for the Class40 circuit. The glorious blue skies and generous sunshine were counterpointed by the high concentration and tension out on the start line among the skippers. The fleet of 25 duos got off to a great start, the bit between their teeth, propelled along by a light N/NW’ly breeze of 5-6 knots.
Though rookies Thomas and Raphaël Lurton, aboard Ose Ta Victoire (100), were first across the line after reaping the rewards of a daring start on port tack, it was the local Baie de Seine crew aboard Sogestran-Seafrigo (197) who sailed an exemplary coastal course. Indeed, crossing the start in a very favourable position, Norman sailors Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Château were able to lengthen their stride and steal a march on their rivals. The combination of their talent as regatta racers and their extensive knowledge of the stretch of water enabled the duo from Le Havre to find some speed in the lightest of gusts and be first around the final mark of the exhibition course. The perfect introduction to proceedings, it proved to be a real confidence boost for the locals of the leg before they set a course for the Norman archipelago of Saint Marcouf and tackle the passage across the English Channel overnight. Lining up a series of flawlessly clean manoeuvres, Axel Tréhin, this time supported by Erwan Le Mené (Project Rescue Ocean – 162), managed to move up into second place at the latest position report. They were tailed by the highly experienced Vincent Riou and Benoit Hantzperg aboard Pierreval Fondation Good Planet (203) and Nicolas Jossier and Sophie Faguet on La Manche Évidence Nautique (185).
The English Channel by night
Up next, the Class40s will have to cover the 40-mile section of racetrack between the start off Ouistreham and the compulsory passage mark to the west of Saint Marcouf. Coloured by light airs, followed by a spell of ‘rock hopping’, they will have to try to fight off the pull of the current, which is due to turn late afternoon off Barfleur. The fleet will then launch into a nocturnal sprint across the English Channel, dodging the heavy shipping upwind as they go. Tomorrow morning will likely be a less joyful episode for the sailors as they try to pick their way across the Solent and its hazardous sandbanks.
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