Nice UltiMed: Kick-off tomorrow at 1:02pm: Make way for sport!
by A.S.O. / Nice UltiMed 1 May 2018 11:26 PDT
25 April - 6 May 2018
Nice Ultimed; le 29 avril 2018 © Morgan Bove / ASO
1:02pm on the dot. Such is tomorrow's start schedule for the main event of this Nice UltiMed, the very first confrontation between the Ultimes at the heart of the Mediterranean, with the City of Nice making it all happen. Big crowds are expected to cheer on the crews of Francis Joyon (IDEC SPORT), Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim') and Yves Le Blévec (Actual-Grand Large Emotion), who will set sail on a circuit spanning over 1,000 miles with course marks off Marseille, southern Sardinia (Capo Spartivento) and Corsica (Porto Vecchio and the island of Giraglia). As planned, this route has been designed to target the arrival of the first finisher on the afternoon of Saturday 5 May so the locals are ready and waiting to welcome them back to Nice. Conditions are forecast to be varied with some wild speed runs followed by some highly tactical phases...
The crews of Thomas Coville, Yves Le Blévec and Francis Joyon make no secret of the fact: they're eager to head out to sea and get down to action in this debut Mediterranean clash. It's at 1:02pm that Armel Le Cléac'h (winner of the last Vendée Globe and skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire IX), Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and Jean-Pierre Dick, patron of the Nice UltiMed, will give the race start from the Rauba Capeù promontory. It's the luxury cruise ship "The World", which will form the far side of the start line. With the crowds flocking to the event and already bowled over by the Exhibition Run last Saturday, the local public will have a fantastic view of the action, just metres away from the three giant trimarans. A quite unique showstopping spectacle.
The "Offshore Sprint" route revealed
The giant trimarans will sail anticlockwise around the Nice UltiMed Circuit, with passages via Marseille, Sardinia and Corsica, with the first competitor due to reach the finish line on the afternoon of Saturday 5 May so the maximum number of spectators are in place to join in the festivities. "These modifications are also about making it increasingly likely that the course marks can be rounded in daylight hours", explains Christophe Gaumont, the Race Director, who goes on to detail the route: "The race will kick off with a coastal course around the bay of Nice with a passage in front of the airport, then off Cap-Ferrat before looping back to the start line and heading out West. The Ultimes will first make for Marseille, where they will leave the Iles du Frioul to port (course mark "Région Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur"), before powering down to southern Sardinia (Capo Spartivento mark), and then climbing back up towards Corsica, where there will be two marks to round: Porto-Vecchio and the island of Giraglia (to the North of Cap Corse). The three competitors will then head back towards Nice and then complete a second shorter lap, which will be adapted at the time with the aim of a race finish on the afternoon of Saturday 5 May so the locals can welcome in the winner of the Nice UltiMed."
Pushing the machines and getting the grey matter whirring...
Weather-wise, we're expecting very light winds for the start. The race start will be very tactical, with the crews sniffing out the slightest breeze. "It isn't until after La Ciotat that the wind will pick up. Indeed, a Mistral/tramontana phenomenon is set to establish itself, with strong wind expected in the Gulf of Lions, with building seas. The drop down to the South of Sardinia will be quick, even though there will likely be some gybing on the cards", explains Richard Silvani from Météo France. The Ultimes could well round the Capo Spartivento mark on Thursday evening. "The climb up towards Nice will be a lot more tactical in conditions that will be hard to figure out, typically Mediterranean in other words", warns Richard Silvani. "Strategy will take centre stage and the crews will have to get their grey matter whirring..." A programme set to leave the playing field wide open then, so suspense is guaranteed!
The skippers' mindset on the eve of the start:
Francis Joyon (IDEC SPORT): "The change of course is understandable given the demands of the passage marks. The sailor's job is to adapt so we're adapting! Heading out to sea on these boats is never a trivial matter and we're setting sail with an infinite amount of respect for this environment."
Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim'): "Conditions are going to be changeable and you can never be completely confident sailing in the Mediterranean, nor apprehension-free. It's a difficult playing field with lots of pitfalls and it's a sea of paradoxes. The race is going to be spectacular and we're going to pretty washed out when we arrive back in Nice on Saturday afternoon!"
Yves Le Blévec (Actual-Grand Large Emotion): "The drop down between the Iles du Frioul and Sardinia will be lively with some strong wind and steep seas. Our boats will really be able to show what they're made off offshore as that's what they're designed for. I'm delighted to have raced along the coast last week and shown the public our boats. The sporting element of the Nice UltiMed starts tomorrow!"
Crew composition:
IDEC SPORT: Francis Joyon (skipper), Bernard Stamm, Gwénolé Gahinet, Sébastien Picault, Quentin Ponroy, Antoine Blouet
Sodebo Ultim': Thomas Coville (skipper), Jean-Luc Nélias, Matthieu Vandame, Quentin Delapierre, Thierry Douillard, Thomas Lebreton
Actual-Grand Large Emotion: Yves Le Blévec (skipper), Loïc Lingois, Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant, Eric Defert, Antoine Rabaste, Julien Jeudy
Programme / Wednesday 2 May
- 09:00am: Opening of the Port (Quai Infernet)
- 09:00am: Start of the Nautical Arena
- 10:00am: Opening of the Discovery Exhibition on the Quai des Etats-Unis, Promenade des Anglais
- 10:45am: Beginning of the Protocol for the Ultimes Departing the Port
- 12 noon: Port Closes
- 12 noon: Start of the Entertainment for the Race Start on the Esplanade Rauba Capeù
- 1:02pm: Race Start with live commentary from Rauba Capeù
- 3:00-5pm: Easy to Fly training sessions with live commentary from the Promenade des Anglais
- 7:00pm: Discovery Exhibition Closes