Nacra 17s European championships in La Grande Motte

by Groupama sailing team on 7 Jul 2014 In La Grande Motte, southern France, a young Olympic series, the Nacra 17, a mixed-double catamaran, is organising its European championships.

With some 74 competitors representing 28 nationalities, this Europe is in fact an international rehearsal prior to the world championships due to take place in Santander this coming September. Like the 73 other participants, Franck Cammas and Sophie de Turckheim will be on the start line from Monday, with a somewhat surprising aim: to make progress in the breeze.

Though the French, British, Italian and Dutch who form part of the elite are logically in La Grande Motte, it may seem more surprising to find the New Zealanders, Australians and even Argentinians here. However, according to Franck Citeau, a local figure and coach to the French Nacra 17 team, it's nothing exceptional: 'This European championship is open to everyone, even non-European. And like the crews of the southern hemisphere who will participate in the Worlds in Spain, they were keen to join us. It's good for them but also for us as the level will be very refined.'

Consistently in the world top ten over the past year, the Groupama duo hasn't set itself any particular objective, other than benefiting from the forecast breeze to work on its technique and its speed: 'This winter, we trained in Morocco to have the breeze we hadn't had. We were at Europa sailing week in Medemblick for the same reason and unfortunately with the same result: no breeze. Now, it's in this domain that we are lacking in relation to the top players. We're sure to suffer, but it'll be for the right cause' sums up the sailor who has sported Groupama's colours for the past 17 years.

Alongside him for the second year in a row, Sophie de Turckheim shared the same viewpoint on exiting a training session in 20 to 25 knots: 'It's really physical and technical. On the beats, with a poor chop, I get around all over the place on the rail. Downwind, things went better than at the start of the season, but clearly we still need to work hard when it blows'.

In the car park near La Grande Motte's Club Nautique, certain faces light up with the news of this forecast breeze. This is notably the case for Billy Besson and Marie Riou, reigning world champions and thrill-seekers. There is also Australian Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis, not to mention other French sailors like Moana Vaireaux and Manon Audinet or Audrey Ogereau teamed up with Matthieu Vandame, who is back from a knee operation following a bad fall during the Sailing World Cup in Hyères.

During the first three days, the significant fleet will be split into two groups. At the end of this, the top 18 players of each group will be gathered together in the Gold round and the others in the Silver round. Next, after two more days of racing, the top ten from the Gold round will participate in the Medal Race, the only race which scores double points and designates the European champions 2014. Even if they are not Europeans...