Tour de France a la Voile leg 5

by ASO and Sail-World.com on 22 Jul 2012 Leg five of the Tour de France a la Voile commenced July 21. Strong 25 plus knot winds were expected according to all weather models – and the conditions between Roses, Spain, and Gruissan, France, tended to be tougher than predicted.

As a result the Race Committee chose to convoy the fleet by sea to Argelès, after the Cape Béart (Spain). The boats left the Spanish port at 8am with safety jackets a compulsory item. The 14 boats sailed altogether.

The start proper to the leg was then in front of Argelès, with the leg shorterened to 33 miles instead of 62.

Thomas Rouxel – navigator, Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Elite said dockside before sailing 'The tramontane is blowing – that’s a strong wind from the north. The wind can be very strong at Cape Creus so the convoy is rather a wise decision. We could have played a bit to see if it was possible… but that was the race management’s choice and we accept it.

'We will therefore sail upwind towards the start zone. Then it will be more like a drag race, straight on reaching to Gruissan. It won’t be the Tour’s most tactical race! Strong wind, flat sea state and probably a good weather. It could be rather nice!'

Arrivals - offshore leg Roses-Gruissan July 21.
1 - ILE DE FRANCE (FRA 1) – Jimmy Pahun
2 - COURRIER DUNKERQUE 3 (FRA 08) - Daniel Souben
3 - TOULON PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE –COYCH (FRA 07) - Fabien Henry
4 - VILLE DE GENEVE – CARREFOUR PREVENTION (SUI 19) - Jérôme Clerc / Elodie Mettraux
5 - BRETAGNE - CREDIT MUTUEL ELITE (FRA 18) - Nicolas Troussel
6 - BAE SYSTEMS (OMA 4) - Cédric Pouligny
7 - NANTES SAINT NAZAIRE - E.LECLERC (FRA 6) - Corentin Douguet
8 -REGION DE BRUXELLES - CAPITALE / BRUSSELS HOOFDSTEDELIJK GEWEST (BEL 2) - Bertrand Pacé
9 - BRED / La NORMANDIE (FRA 15)- Baptiste Choquennet10 - CÔTES D'ARMOR BRETAGNE (FRA 14) - Josselin Le Moine
11 - MARTINIQUE - MEDIABAT (FRA 2) - Mathieu Mourès
12 - TU DELFT (NED 1) - Pieter Van Notten
13 - ISKAREEN (GER 11) - Christiane Dittmers / Sönke Bruhns
14 -BIENNE VOILE - SRS (SUI 22) - Lorenz Mueller / François Kunz
DNC FASCINATING SEAS INTERNATIONAL - Léonid Klepikov

Tour de France a la Voile website