Phil Sharp and Corentin Douguet 2nd in Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables Leg 1
by Phil Sharp Racing 9 Jul 2017 05:04 NZST
8 July 2017
Phil Sharp and Corentin Douguet finish 2nd in leg 1 of the Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables race ©
www.philsharpracing.com
After a 1,270 nautical mile race from Vendee – Azores, Phil Sharp and Corentin Douguet, racing Class 40 Imerys crossed the finish line on Saturday the 8th of July at 10:51:22 UTC, averaging 8.84 knots. Their race time of 5 days, 23 hours, 49 minutes, and 22 seconds, was just 43 minutes and 40 seconds shy of 1st place.
Since Sunday's race start the team have experienced variable conditions from the complexities of light wind at the start and finish, to notching up record speeds across the Atlantic. After a technical fault with an essential sail saw them lose the lead by 19 nautical miles, they were left with the challenge to close the gap, but this was going to be no easy feat after the boat's wind vane blew overboard. The team's determination and pure skill brought them just a few miles from the lead despite lack of accurate wind data, and being caught by a fisherman who motored in front of the boat, tangling two lines to the keel as they neared the finish.
Phil Sharp, skipper of Imerys comments on the race: "It was very tiring, the pace was rapid, and I think I've never pushed a class 40 quite so much to the edge as in this race. These boats are machines and it's incredible just how fast they go. Although it was very tough out there at times, it's rewarding sailing, especially when you're sailing across an ocean to a place like this. You realise it's an amazing opportunity.
"The race that we had with Tales II was a fantastic one, and it was great to have them near us as it made for a good reference. It drove us and the boat to our limits. We had a great start, but they took over us in the Atlantic with some great speed, and then we had a fun finish where we hunted them down and made up some distance towards the end.
"The race is split in two, so we're pretty happy that we finished so close to 1st place for this leg. It means that the race is still open for us to win, we just have to beat Tales II!
"Overall it's been a tiring, but very rewarding leg and it's great to have a good solid position to arrive into Horta with."
After an intense leg to Horta, Phil and new co-skipper Adrien Hardy have just six days before they'll be crossing the starting line of leg 2 in the race back to Les Sables. Overall ranking will be established based on the combined times of the two legs. The team with the minimum combined time will be declared the winner.
Follow leg 2 starting on Friday 14th July at 13:02 UTC with the Imerys live race tracker and frequent updates on social media, and the official website at www.philsharpracing.com.
2017 Class 40 Championship Race Programme:
- April 29th - May 1st: Grand Prix Guyader: 1st Phil Sharp Racing/ Imerys
- May 14th - May 21st: Normandy Channel Race: 1st Phil Sharp Racing/ Imerys
- July 2nd - July 20th: Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables
- 6th – 11th August: Rolex Fastnet Race
- 5th – 30th November 2017: Transat Jacques Vabre
100% Clean Energy Target – the journey to replacing the diesel engine
The Energy Challenge is an offshore racing project that aims to help accelerate a transition of the marine sector to clean technologies, as well as competing at a high level in the most challenging oceanic races in the world. The project aims to demonstrate an innovative hydrogen-electric energy system that will capture solar energy, and provide a practical replacement for current marine diesel systems.
The Energy Challenge's clean development is part of a long-term objective to enter the Vendee Globe 2020 with a highly competitive project, but uniquely with zero fossil fuels aboard. With Class 40 Title Partner Imerys providing continued support for the next 3 years, the team are looking for additional partners to grow the Energy Challenge in line with this Vendee Globe vision.
PS Racing and the Energy Challenge
A high performance ocean racing project centred on clean innovation and energy efficiency, striving for victory in some of the world's toughest offshore events whilst uniquely demonstrating the performance advantages of clean technologies.
The Energy Challenge is developing a practical solution for a self-sufficient zero CO2 clean energy system for marine. Capitalising on the latest innovations in renewable energy and hydrogen fuel cell technology the energy system eliminates the use of fossil fuels and provides a lighter solution with higher energy security and reliability than conventional diesel systems.
Phil Sharp: Skipper and Technical Director
One of Britain's most competitive offshore skippers achieving podium results in some of the most challenging events to date such as solo transatlantic races the Transat, Mini Transat and the Route du Rhum, crossing almost a whole day ahead of his nearest competitor.
Despite a last minute entry in the 2016 Class 40 Championship, Phil took podium position in The Transat bakerly, where he finished the gruelling race with a destroyed mainsail and a serious boat leak. At the end of 2016 Phil was awarded a Guinness World Record for establishing a new World Speed Sailing Monohull Record, single-handed across the English Channel from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Dinard, France. He finished the 2016 Class 40 Championship in 3rd place, and aims to better this throughout 2017. To date Phil has won the first two races of the season, the Grand Prix Guyader and the Normandy Channel Race. He subsequently aims to compete in the Barcelona World Race and Vendee Globe with zero reliance on fossil fuels and aims to be the first vessel to do so.
"The Energy Challenge aims to win the toughest ocean races, whilst acting as a test-bed for cutting-edge renewable technology. Our aim is to communicate and demonstrate the performance advantages of clean-tech and aid the transition to a clean future for marine." Phil Sharp.
www.philsharpracing.com