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2008/07/08 - 21h16
Better and better
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| F18 Worlds - from 5th to 11th July in Nigrán (Pontevedra) - Spain |
| For this second day of racing in the Formula 18 world championship, yesterday's leaders have confirmed their status with notably
Dutch crews in the top two spots.
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For want of a provisional general ranking at a `reasonable' hour or not a 'Spanish' one at least, we'll forecast a 3rd or
4th place for the Groupama crew, which was the author of three very fine races today.
If you recall, Franck and Jérémie
finished in 11th and 1st place yesterday to take 6th place overall in the provisional ranking. In race no.3, the first of
the day, they got off to an average start, rounding the first mark in 15th place and then moving up through the fleet in superb
style to 4th thanks to a mixture of speed and tactical finesse.
For race no.4, they set off at the front of the fleet
alongside a certain Mitch Booth, specialist in the series. After a fierce battle, Groupama stood out from the crowd for the
second time. Aboard their Nacra, Franck and Jérémie smiled to their fans from Groupama Seguros, who had come along to give
them encouragement. However, as the 10 knots or so of breeze veered again they remained concentrated to tackle race no.5.
After
two general recalls, the crew of Groupama weren't taking any risks and were slightly boxed-in as a result. Once again though,
they powered back into the match to cross the finish line in third position after a fine duel with an Australian crew.
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To resume:- If we put the 11th place to one side (which you would drop as the ruling would anticipate the removal of the worst of
the first four races), the crew of Groupama is regularly at the front of the fleet with 2 victories and one 3rd and 4th
place.
- As is often the case in a race, the start is decisive. Setting off well, you sail in a fresh wind on calm
seas. When the opposite is true, you have to increase the number of tacks to get clear of the fleet. Suffice to say that during
this time, your playmates don't wait for you.
- A boat well prepared by Thierry Madec and Michel Letty, sails well
trimmed and good control on the helm are the ingredients necessary for a team who fuel the after race conversations.
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Let's hope it lasts...Whatever happens, rendez-vous tomorrow evening for the report from the qualifying rounds which will decide the members of
group A, the strong group, and the others, those of group B.
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