Sea, Sail & Surf news
Class 40
Ned Collier Wakefield and Sam Goodchild on Concise 2 triumph in a race to the wire in Caen
dimanche 9 septembre 2012 –
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Upwind without wind !
The original fifteen Class 40s registered in the third edition of the Normandy Channel Race set out from Hermanville-sur-Mer on Sunday 2 September. After parading down from Caen to the open sea off Ouistreham, where the large crowds relished a final opportunity to wish them fair winds, the competitors set off in a solid 15 knots of breeze, where they proceeded to complete the initial coastal course before getting into the race proper. From the outset, the two young Britons, Ned Collier-Wakefield and Sam Goodchild on Concise 2 showed just what they were made of by snatching control of the fleet under spinnaker. Following on from that, they made their way along the landing beaches with the current initially, before it turned on them and made progress towards the Saint Marcouf Islands a real struggle for the whole fleet.
Phoenix Europe Express skippered by Yannick Bestaven, winner of the Transat The Transat #thetransat #ostar 6.50 1991, teamed up with Julien Pulvé for the event, and the duo were first to make this compulsory course mark, whilst Campagne de France helmed by the duo Halvard Mabire – Miranda Merron were in the hunt for the top spot.
The first Channel crossing involved light airs and upwind conditions ; a rather familiar point of sail throughout the Normandy Channel Race 2012. Four craft made a getaway after perfectly timing the current, with Talanta skippered by Jean Galfione and Eric Péron, joining the fray. Mare skippered by Jorg Riechers and Nicolas Boidevezi threw in the towel at this point, following a technical issue with the bowsprit of the German Mach 40.
At the Isle of Wight, a passage across the Solent on the menu, the zone of high pressure was expanding and a number of the duos ended up becalmed in the light airs, and most importantly punching the tide, so kedging was called for among some of the boats. During this time the leaders made good their escape at this first tricky stage of the race. Along the South coast of England, it was the same scenario, with tiny adjustments being made to the sails, the utmost concentration aboard and serious strategic considerations… Sébastien Rogues and Dominic Vittet’s Eole Génération GDF Suez, pulled off a great little move along the coast by taking the inside line at Start Point and getting right back into the fight. The Lizard finally saw a sharp acceleration in the wind with rough, choppy seas in the sprint up to Tuskar Rock in the Celtic Sea, where the fatigue was beginning to set in. Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron really had the edge over Sam Goodchild and Ned Collier-Wakefield here. Everyone was able to pick up the pace before the wide ridge of high pressure sprawled out across the race zone…
On Wednesday evening, the frontrunners rounded Tuskar in Ireland just in time, leaving little breeze in their wake for the poor backrunners. The decision was taken by Race Director, Sylvie Viant, and Jean Couadou, President of the Race Committee, to reduce the course and remove the Fastnet mark so the teams could head straight for the Channel Islands.
Close-hauled once more, again without breeze, Campagne de France and Concise 2 became embroiled in a match racing session and rounded Land’s End without missing a beat, before having to tiptoe through a zone of calms. As was the case since the start of the race, the rich got richer and so the frontrunners extended their lead. Astern of them, some boats remained at a standstill at Bishop Rock on Friday. Talanta helmed by pole-vaulter Jean Galfione and Figaro sailor Eric Péron, seemingly set themselves up nicely for the third step of the podium. Ahead of them, ‘pebble-hopping’ in Brittany on Friday evening, Concise 2’s crew was putting the Franco-British pairing under pressure. It was on Saturday morning that Ned and Sam on Concise 2 got ahead at Cap de la Hague and held onto the lead until the finish at 1737 UTC offshore of Hermanville-sur-Mer with a 10-minute and 20-second lead over Halvard and Miranda.
Voir en ligne : Info presse www.normandy-race.com
English offshore racing hopes
The British duo, Ned Collier-Wakefield, 24 and Sam Goodchild, 22, took control of the Normandy Channel Race last night as they made their way along the Norman coastline in the powerful current, forced to punch the tide. Their impressive duel with the Franco-British duo made up of Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron was in action pretty much all the way back from Tuskar Rock in Ireland. Concise 2 put up a stunning performance. From beginning to end, the young English guns were up with the action, whether it be at the race start, on Sunday 2 September, in the light airs that dictated the Channel crossing, in the current of the Solent, along the South coast of England, during the climb up to Tuskar Rock, the drop down to the Channel Islands or finally, the sprint for home. Ned and Sam had the bit between their teeth the whole way, driving their Akilaria RC2 with a great deal of intelligence. This is one of their first major victories. The duo had already stood out during the Transat Jacques Vabre 2011 with a blinder of a start to the race, which sadly ended in retirement at the Azores.
Sam Goodchild, a British-born Grenadian, this year secured a creditable 12th place in the Transat AG2R and 24th in the Solitaire du Figaro aboard the Figaro Bénéteau Artémis. He lived on his family’s boat for 15 years prior to that. Meantime, Ned Collier-Wakefield, the skipper of Concise 2, is one of the pillars of Team Concise. An architectural student, the young Londoner already boasts a wealth of experience in the Class 40 and won the World Championship in the discipline in 2009.
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