Groupama 40 on the last day of racing in Almeria. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Studio Zedda.
by Kate Jennings, in translation from Caro Muller
As forecast, the last day of the last event in the Extreme Sailing Series 2010 was a windy one. To such an extent in fact, that the eight competing crews spent half the time sailing with one reef in the mainsail.
However, in contrast to Sunday, the hoisting of the gennaker was authorised, as was the presence of a fifth man aboard. As such, in these conditions, there were a good number of people who had the privilege of being aboard, in what proved to be some rather more competitive than friendly nautical jousts.
Winner of the second race of the day, Groupama 40 didn’t succeed in making the podium, or in getting the better of a Loïck Peyron who was on brilliant form.
Groupama 40 on the last day of racing in Almeria. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Studio Zedda.
However, it was the battle for first place in the general ranking which was really on everyone’s minds. From the first race, the Omani crew of The Wave Muscat got the upper hand over Team Gitana. Technically very skilful and capable of holding his boat at a standstill in a 20 metre square, the crew helmed by Paul Campbell-James just kept piling the pressure on the French team. Excellent at the starts, the future champion linked together the manoeuvres perfectly, leaving Guichard and his band increasingly less hope.
In the same way, Masirah dominated Groupama 40, whose performance was too inconsistent to really stand a chance of beating them in this final event.
Groupama 40 on the last day of racing in Almeria. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Studio Zedda.
And yet open smiles lit up the faces of the 32 professional sailors who had participated in the circuit. The Extreme formula which associates one designs, top level sport and the proximity of the public grows ever larger from year to year. And, as Franck Cammas highlights "the switch to multihull sailing in the America’s Cup will give this formula even greater bearing". The presence of the New Zealand crew, Fly Emirates, at the event was clearly the best proof of this.
Present on the circuit for nearly three years, Franck Cammas won’t be back in 2011 however. Indeed, he is committed, alongside his loyal partner Groupama, to the Volvo Ocean Race. This won’t prevent him from following the circuit though, whether it be in its European, American or Asian venues.
Cammas - Groupama
Extreme Sailing Series Europe
