Monday 10 August 2009

Sebastien Col Wins the French International Match Racing Championships



by Stephanie Nadin

Sebastien Col and his team formed of Gilles Favennec, Erwan Israel and Christophe André won the French International Match Racing Championships in Pornichet, a Grade 1 event, on 2nd August.

It is the second time in his career that Sebastien Col has won this event (first win in 2006).

Seb Col: « I'm very happy, as in our victory today were the result AND the way we achieved it, but I'm also very satisfied with my crew and the confidence that we managed to get back together. They really did a great job. We had a good success in this competition, and it feels good because it was some time that it didn't happen to us. »

This win is very positive as it confirms that Sebastien Col and his team are back to business since their 3rd place in the Match Cup Sweden, at the beginning of July. They didn't want to lose anything until the following events of the World Match Racing Tour's season, and they did well!

And Sebastien Col confirms once again that he is in a great shape since the beginning of summer.

Seb Col: « we finished 2nd on the Tour de France a la Voile with the TPM-COYCH Team this year, and I joined them for the Mediterranean part of the Tour. For me it was perfect as I have been able to spend time helming, getting back some sensations. We did a great job together, and I have been able to take advantage of that time to work on the communications with Erwan Israel, who was also on board. Besides, finishing 3rd in match racing on the RC44 Malcesine Cup was also a good point. All of that and the difficult moments we've been through with my team in match racing, are very useful to us now. We will continue to write our story down. We will see what will come for the rest of the match racing season, but it is good to leave for the holidays with a victory. »

The short term program for Sebastien Col will now be 15 days of well deserved holidays. Then he will go to Hyeres in the South of France to take part to a Melges 24 training with the team of Blu Moon led by Flavio Favini, a team with whom he will compete for a major target that they have this season, after having sailed together for several competitions in Italy during the first part of the season: the Melges 24 European Championships, in Hyères, from 24 to 29 August. Their second target will be the World Championships, which will take place in Annapolis, USA, in October.

The World Match Racing Tour will start again in September with the St Moritz Match Race, in Switzerland.

Final results in Pornichet (top 4):
1. Sebastien Col
2. Mathieu Richard
3. Damien Iehl
4. Pierre Antoine Morvan

Sebastien Col

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