Final of the Longtze European Tour, this weekend, on Bodensee, Switzerland
Longtzes competing on the 2010 European circuit. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.
by Catherine Ecarlat
Of the 15 crews registered for the final of the Longtze European Tour 2010 which will take place this weekend on Lake Constance, 8 are newcomers to the circuit. New boats, new owners: the circuit is more entrenched and grows larger with each confirmed sailor. Many of them are showing in fact serious know-how and the Swiss competition promises to be top-notch!
German, Swiss, French, Turkish, the new crews on the Longtze circuit are no exception to the rule: all good sailors, they chose the Longtze Premier for its performance and the pleasure this sportboat gives its crew, especially while racing. Today they join the Longtze European Tour for the thrill of monotype racing.
Longtzes competing on the 2010 European circuit. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.
“This relatively important arrival of new owners is what we have been hoping for since the launch of the circuit”, comments Pierre Mas "It is also the result of a long process of development that is beginning to bear fruit.”
New skippers, new destinations?
Among these “rookies”: Amrcus Graf, Swiss importer of the Longtze, one of the first to have believed in this avant-garde sportboat ; German Michael Begher (Maycor); Frenchman Dimitri Hardouin-Deleuze (Lunanbule), partnered for the occasion with Arthur Levaillant, one of the young “pioneers” of the circuit; the Swiss Walter Schneider (Outsider); his compatriot Beat Frank (Qi) president of the very young Swiss association of Longtze owners, the Frenchwoman Béatrice Maupas Sauvage and the Turk Gordon Orhan.
Longtzes competing on the 2010 European circuit. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.
“Today, the Longtze is one of best compromises speed/technology that there is. I was looking for this type of boat for several years and here it is, I know that we are going to have some superb regattas in this sportboat.
"I also hope the Longtze European Tour will continue to develop, especially in new countries... and why not in Turkey! The Longtzes could compete in the “ Bosphorus Cup”, at the foot of the magical Istanbul. In the South of Turkey, Çeşme, Bodrum and Göcek are also superb waters for this type of competition.
"Lots of people are interested in the Longtze in Turkey and we are hoping to compete in all the events on the Longtze European Tour 2011!” comments the Turkish skipper Gordon Orhan.
Place your bets, the stakes are high
Longtzes competing on the 2010 European circuit. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.
Some "rookies" of this Bodensee Cup have already mastered the Longtze, others have discovered a serious racer... The Longtze European Tour regulars will therefore have a hard time in this 2010 final, organized by the SVB Segler-Vereinigung Bottighofen.
"It will be tough out there," warns Pierre Mas. "Jarmo Wieland (Shensu) and his team are progressing very quickly, Stephane Christidis and his team from the Naval Academy are back, George Asperti (Ovik) and the Longtze ”Voiles et Voiliers” (skippered by Laurent Berjon and which hosts a Voiles et Voiliers reader at each event ndr) have always been well placed. We expect some nice surprises from the new crews: once again, there is such a high standard!”
Also note the participation of Marcus Ziltener (Carissima), very active in the association of Swiss Longtze owners.
Then, of course, Eckhard Kaller and his loyal and now experienced crew from "Wet feet" have a serious advantage. The German team has performed flawlessly since the beginning of the year. He has 15 points and a season of experience ahead of his competitors. But in the wake of the remarkable German team, other racers are leaving their mark: newcomers who may well soon leave their talented mark on the Longtze European Tour’s young history.
Longtzes competing on the 2010 European circuit. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.
Rendez-vous this weekend, from 22nd to 24th October, in Bottighoffen, on Lake Constance in Switzerland, for the Bodensee Cup, final of the Longtze European Tour 2010.
List of registrations for the Bodensee Cup, final of the Longtze European Tour 2010
AUT 815 - Nusskern Franz
SUI 816 - Ziltener Markus - Carissima
* GER 817 - Berenbach Michael - Maycor
* SUI 824 - Graf Markus
GER 824 - Kaller Eckhard - Wetfeet.de
SUI 825 - Wieland Jarmo - Shensu
FRA 830 - Asperti Georges - OVIK
* GER 832 - Begher Michael - Corvus
FRA836 - Berjon Laurent - Voiles et Voiliers
* FRA838 - Hardouin-Deleuze Dimitri - Lunambule (avec Arthur Levaillant)
* SUI 840 - Schneider Walter - Outsider
* SUI 826 - Frank Beat - Qi
FRA - Christidis Stephane - Ecole Navale
* TUR - Gorbon Orhan
* FRA - Maupas Sauvage Béatrice
(* Newcomers to the Longtze circuit)
General Ranking / Classement Général 2010
Provisional – After 4 events
1 Eckhard Kaller (Germany) – WET FEET 43 points
2 Matthieu Girolet / Georges Asperti (France) – OVIK 28 points
3 Laurent Berjon (France) – VOILES & VOILIERS 26 points
4 Ljarmo Wieland (Switzerland) – SHENSU 23 points
5 Nicolas Béranger* (France) – UN MAILLOT POUR LA VIE 23 points
6 Markus Ziltener (Switzerland) – CARISSIMA 20 points
7 Pierre Mas (France) – WAZABEE 16 points
8 Hughes Moulin / Mathieu Roynette / Edouard Danel (France) – TCHIKK** 11 points
9 Stéphane Christidis (France) – ECOLE NAVALE – HEC SAILING TEAM 11 points
10 Laurent Sailly (France) – P'TIT PIDUCE 10 points
11 Silvio Mueller (Switzerland) – ASSO99 6 points
12 Philippe Claude (France) – ATHEMA 6 points
13 Dmitriy RASSKAZOV (Russia) – RUS 804 5 points
14 Emmanuel Sauvage (France) – SAUVAGE 4 points
15 Dominique Bourgeois (France) – ALIBI 4 points
16 Manuel Vacari (Italy) - OXO SAILS 3 points
17 Vladislav IVANOVSKIY (Russia) – RUS 806 3 points
18 Ewald Aichinger (Austria) – AUT 812 2 points
19 Felix Somm (Switzerland) – SUI 811 2 points
20 Ben Kay (UK) – LONGTZE WAY BEHIND 1 points
21 François Riché (France) – FR.SAILING.COM 1 points
22 Jacques Van Den Heuvel (Netherland) – ANCRE DE CHINE 1 points
* Grand Prix Ecole Navale : Jimmy Pahun Co-Skipper – REGION ILE DE FRANCE Sponsor
** Cowes Week : STADE FRANCAIS sponsor
Longtze European Tour
