Extreme Sailing Series - Thinking caps on in Istanbul

by Groupama Sailing Team on 11 Sep 2014 For the second year, the Extreme Sailing Series is making a stopover in Istanbul, Turkey. For Groupama 40, this sixth event of the international circuit marks a major change in the composition of the crew with Franck Cammas being replaced by François Morvan, a multihull specialist. Though the rest of the crew remains unchanged the Groupama team, under Tanguy Cariou's leadership, will this time be coached by Bertrand Pacé.

Lacking a bit of form since the start of the season on this 12-metre one-design catamaran, the crew of Groupama 40 isn't giving up. Compelled to compete in the World Nacra 17 Championship in Santander, Spain, the company's skipper has decided, in agreement with Tanguy Cariou, to pass the helm for this event to François Morvan.

A helmsman on Tornados, Formula 18s and D35s, the Breton is a familiar face on the multihull circuit and a Match Racing enthusiast to boot. As such, even though he's just discovering the ESS circuit, he'll be able to count on skipper Tanguy Cariou and coach Bertrand Pacé to give him an speeded-up low-down on the subtleties of the series: the importance of the starts, constant adaptation, creative opportunism and risk taking.

Practised by Figaro sailors during the Cap Istanbul race, racing on the Bosphorus boasts a number of characteristics unique to river sailing: a strong current, a messy chop kicked up by the shipping and a shifty wind direction due to what are sometimes rather high banks.

As a result, the crews are going to need to quickly adapt to the situation, without being able to count on the organisers to choose the most favourable race zone for some fine inshore competition. No, what counts in the ESS concept is putting on a show right next to the guests and the local public.

At this particular little game and in the first five races of the season (Singapore, Oman, Qingdao, Saint Petersburg and Cardiff), it's the Swiss on Alinghi who are leading the way ahead of The Wave Muscat and their compatriots on Realstone. It's rather as if racing in the Extreme circuit has some points in common with racing on a lake...

Astern of them are two crews involved in preparations for the 35th edition of the America's Cup: Emirates Team New Zealand and Ben Ainslie Racing.

Tenth in the provisional overall ranking, Groupama 40 has the potential to move up the ranking a couple of places in Istanbul: 'On Wednesday, we competed in some training races in great conditions: 10 to 15 knots of breeze and sunshine. François Morvan got on well, though he still needs to make some improvements in terms of his trajectories. He's used to the D35 and you really get a sense of that on the straights where he has real pace. Out of the four races contested, Groupama 40 is in the top third of the ranking, which is good. We'll have to see how things go tomorrow as we'll be sailing closer to the river banks and the starts won't necessarily be upwind, indeed reaching starts are most likely. There's a good atmosphere and the guys are relaxed but studious,' comments Bertrand Pacé.

See you each day through until Sunday so you can keep abreast of Groupama sailing team's performances.

The crew of Groupama 40:

François Morvan, helmsman
Tanguy Cariou, tactician and skipper
Thierry Fouchier, trimmer
Romain Motteau, trimmer
Devan Le Bihan, bowman
Bertrand Pacé, coach