K-Challenge
ProAm Cup 2003 - Theoule-Mandelieu: Happy End
For A Scary Story
4
races, not less than that ! Weather conditions
have allowed the 2003 K-Challenge Pro-Am Cup competitors
to race their first day in strong winds (15 to
20 knots, wind gusts to 30 knots), and those conditions
offered them a good answer to their hopes.
 |
Photo
© Franck SOCHA
|
But
this was a day full of emotion ! Actually, the
Theoule-Mandelieu team managed to save the #1
of the crew at the last minute : Xavier Macaire.
He fell into the sea : " After getting the
spinnaker down, the sheet went under the boat.
I was waiting for the right moment to get it back.
At that time, I already warned my team that I
was a little tired (sailing conditions were quite
hard today), and when the boat met a wave that
made it move, I fell out of the boat. I was trapped
with my feet. I hit my head on the bow. Then I
hit the keel with my back. My feet were trapped
by the spinnaker in the water… Of course
I swallowed a lot of salted water. I raised my
arm out of the water one time, and it’s
on the second time that Sylvain Chtounder managed
to take me out while an other crew jumped into
the water to help me. " Xavier stayed on
the boat during the 4th race : " this is
clear that now I have a complete different vision
of this boat and of life. I absolutely have no
idea about the time I spent in the water…
" (the episode only lasted 15 to 20 seconds,
which seemed to be very long to him).
For the other teams, the day was a little less
dangerous, but full of action ! Armel Le Cleach’
on Elvstrom, who was invited this year as the
winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, really appreciates
the level of the competition : " we did 4
good races, and we are progressing very well for
a team that never sailed together before. Sensations
are very different from the Figaro’s ones,
and the Mumm 30 is a very nice boat to sail. The
level of the 5 firsts is excellent. On our side
we don’t really have a goal regarding the
placing, we want to be the more regular as possible,
and we are sure this is what will give us the
best feedback ".
Thierry Peponnet, at helm on K-Challenge 1, started
to defend his title with 2 first places in the
2 first races ! John Cutler also sailed well on
K-Challenge 2 with an entire new team, with Nicolas
Charbonnier for the tactics. And John was quite
happy about his " student ", who has
been very good according to his own words, though
they got eliminated in the last race : they did
an early start, like Marseille-Cap Sport, so they
got the famous " black flag " raised
for them, that is to say those 2 teams got eliminated
in the 4th race.
The weather conditions for tomorrow will be a
little harder, the race committee changed the
start for 11:00am. But a little more rest for
the crews will be very welcomed, as they were
very tired this late afternoon after this intensive
racing day.
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Photo
© Franck SOCHA
|
Provisionnal
general placing before protest
2003
PRO-AM Group after 4 races (23 teams)
Competitors Points r.1 r.2 r.3 r.4
1
EPURE BY LIERAC
BERTHET PIERRE LOIC 11.00 7 2 1 1
2
K-CHALLENGE 1
PEPONNET THIERRY 11.00 1 1 2 7
3
CHACAL
PALLU ALEXANDRE 25.00 3 3 5 14
4
ELVSTROM
LE CLEACH ARMEL 25.00 5 9 7 4
5
K-CHALLENGE 2
CUTLER JOHN 33.00 2 4 3 bfd
6
VILLE DE BANDOL
CHEVALIER JEAN-FRANCOIS 33.00 11 8 6 8
7
REGION ILE DE FRANCE
PAUCHET NICOLAS 35.00 14 14 4 3
8
TOULON-PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE
HENRI
FABIEN 35.00 9 5 11 10
9
THEOULE MANDELIEU
CHTOUNDER SYLVAIN 40.00 4 6 - 6
10
COTE D’ARMOR
BIARNES VINCENT 42.00 8 13 9 12
11
ORLOFF-NANTES SAINT-NAZAIRE
SAMBRON LAURENT 44.00 16 10 16 2
12
MARSEILLE CAP SPORT
DERUELLE DIMITRI 45.00 6 7 8 bfd
13
KEEP COOL
BAULER CLAUDE 48.00 17 12 10 9
14
TRIGA 5
PECLARD CHRISTOPHE 53.00 15 15 18 5
15
DEFI JEAN BART
PATOU CHRISTOPHE 59.00 12 18 13 16
16
VILLE DE DOUARNENEZ-ARMOR LUX
LE
GARREC LOIC 63.00 13 - 15 11
17
ENTR’ACTE-LES COPAINS A BORD
PORTUGAL
VINCENT 65.00 21 17 12 15
18
DINARD
BASSET ERIC 67.00 19 11 17 20
19
ISR 1
MOTSHTAIN URI 69.00 22 16 14 17
20
BIENNE VOILE
MULLER LORENZ 70.00 18 19 20 13
21
AEOLUS
DALMOLEN BERT 79.00 10 21 - -
22
T-SERVICE INTERIM BRUXELLES
PILATE
JULIEN 80.00 23 20 19 18
23
SILICON THEATRE SCENERY
PRONK
ROBERT 82.00 20 22 21 19
The Pro-Am Cup was created in 1997 by K-Yachting.
This regatta allows amateur skippers to fight
equally with the world top sailors. The race gathers
the Mumm 30 owners (9m length regatta one design)
and professional skippers especially invited and
selected. Loïck Peyron, Franck Cammas, Bertrand
Pacé, Jochen Schuemann are part of the
"stars" who already came for the challenge.
The
Pro-Am Cup shall be governed by the ISAF (International
Sailing Federation) sailing rules, as well as
the French Mumm 30 Class rules.
2
general placings will be produced : the "Pro-Am
Cup" one for all the boats registered in
the regatta, and the "Amateur" one for
all the boats which has been given this status
by K-Yachting.
