2015 Tour de France à la Voile - Groupama 24 takes control

by Groupama sailing team on 8 Jul 2015 For the third day of racing in the Tour de France à la Voile, the crew of Groupama 24, made up of Pierre Pennec, Quentin Ponroy and Arnaud Jarlegan, hasn't gone about things with any half measures, posting a stand-out performance at the end of the five races contested in Fécamp and taking the head of the overall ranking ahead of Grandeur Nature Vérandas and Spindrift.

As the fleet prepare to set a course for Pornichet and enjoy a first rest day, the analysis of Groupama 24's northern section of the course is in line with its objectives and the few points separating the leaders confirms the extreme consistency of the fleet.

Pierre Pennec is a champion helmsman and a fine tactician, Quentin Ponroy an excellent navigator and Arnaud Jarlegan a very solid sail trimmer. Today, the trio form the top crew in the 38th Tour de France à la Voile and currently there is nobody on the pontoons to challenge them given the sheer brilliance of their performance in the last two races this Tuesday. Rounding the first mark of the fourth race in penultimate position out of fourteen boats, the trio made an incredible comeback to finish second. In the final race, they rounded this same mark in sixth place and went on to take the lead at the end of the following run thanks to their perfect speed, crazily good maneuvering and trajectories of millimeter precision.

Questioned on his return to the dock, Pierre Pennec demonstrated Olympian calm: 'There is still a long way to go in this Tour de France and we have a number of points to improve on aboard. We've only been sailing together for around forty days. That's very little compared with an Olympic preparation. We're obviously happy to have taken the lead in the overall ranking but it's not over. And the standard required will go up another notch when Franck Cammas joins us in Roscoff, I can tell you'.

At ease in the light airs and the breezy conditions, in the coastal courses and the stadiums alike, the crew of Groupama 24 is on an upward spiral: 'We're quick and we're managing to secure some good results without taking risks, especially in the start phases. Added to that, the three of us get on well aboard and on shore with the shore crew doing a fantastic job, enabling us to get some good rest after the races,' continues Pennec.

Paying very close attention to the races out on the water, Groupama 24's coach is noting a great many things in his little plastic-coated book, which is protected against the sea spray and the rain. Selected for the Olympic Games in Barcelona in the 470, today Maxime Paul is a sail designer at North Sails, as is Quentin Ponroy. Already a member of Groupama sailing team in the Tour de France à la Voile 2013 and 2014, 'coach Max' is very happy with the performance of his `troop': 'They're sailing well and simply. And believe me, that's not easy'.

This simplicity perfectly characterises this Groupama team though it's important to note that despite leading the ranking, they have such a slender lead that this 38th Tour de France à la Voile remains more open than ever, with particular pressure from Grandeur Nature, Spindrift and CombiWest, who are lying in ambush.

Overall ranking after the first three days:

1/ Groupama 24 with 146 points (5, 1, 1)
2/ Grandeur Nature Vérandas with 145 points (1, 4, 3)
3/ Spindrift with 135 points (2, 14, 2)
4/ CombiWest with 135 points (12, 2, 4)
5/ Vannes Agglo with 133 points (3, 7, 10)
6/ PRB with 132 points (4, 10, 7)