Petit Navire Dragon Grand Prix - light airs Day 2

by Véronique Guillou - Rivacom on 5 May 2006 Grey, yes, but all the greys were amassed together in Douarnenez Bay for the second day of racing in the Petit Navire Dragon Grand Prix. The question of how this bay manages to show off so many colours in black and white was once again the subject of debate in Tréboul harbour.

Some great names out on the water. The Dragon was designed back in 1929. As the years have gone by, it has been adapted and modernised, so that in 2004, you could count 1444 Dragons around the world spread over five continents and 26 countries. A former Olympic class from 1948 to 1972, this keelboat remains above all revered by the former Olympic sailors. Among them, Pol Hoj Jensen Danish Blue (GBR 705), who has achieved 98 national and international titles, including three Gold Cups (World Dragon Championships) and a gold medal in the 1980 Olympics in Soling. A silver medallist and young peer to the Dane in the Moscow Olympics, Boris Budnikov is also sailing here on Stasya (RUS 6).

Alongside the Olympic medallists, there are many national and international champions on various monotype boats, as well as America's Cup racers. For example, the Swede Thomas Löfstedt (Pilen SWE 336) was twelve times champion of Sweden and the Russian Alexey Krylov (Versia 3.0 RUS 25) thrice Snipe and Yngling world champion. The Swiss yachtsman Vincent Hoesch (Sinewave - GER 996) has achieved no less than six wins in the Gold Cup, eight titles of European champion and five titles of vice champion in various categories, including the Star.

As for Yves Pajot, he is sailing on Startigen (FRA 303). World 505 and Flying Dutchman champion, he also took part in 1992 in the America's Cup semi-final in San Diego. To finish, Sébastien Audigane, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy on Orange II, Jimmy Pahun ten times winner of the Spi Ouest France and Jean Le Cam, triple winner of the Figaro single-handed event, third in the 2005 Transat Jacques Vabre and second in the Vendée Globe complete the line-up of top names.

For two races today it was quieter than quiet, as Jean Le Cam would say. So much so that the competitors had to wait for more than three hours on the water for the first heat to begin. Quiet, dull, overcast weather, which was to the advantage of Yann Kersalé's Dirastarc'h (FRA 335), who cleanly won the first heat of the day.

At 4 p.m. the race committee signalled the start of the second heat. The wind had got up a bit (eight or nine knots) in a bay, where you could see all the different shades of grey. The impatience of the competitors and the unreliable, gyrating winds were too much for this start and so they were all called back.

The committee began the starting procedures immediately afterwards: yet another false start. So the inevitable happened and the black flag was raised for the third start, which was finally the good one, in spite of the light, irregular airs.

Results of the second race1
Dirastarc'h (FRA 335)
Yann Kersalé - Furie (NED 309)
Guus de Groot - Chimeara (NED 330)
Abram de Wilde

Results of the third race1
Diamond (RUS 77)
Inna Shternberg - Bavarian Blue (GER 979)
Wolfgang Rappe - Ar Maout (FRA 330)
Jean Le Cam






Press Contact : Véronique GUILLOU (RivaCom)
veronique@rivacom.fr