FLAVIO FAVINI LEADS AFTER DAY TWO IN MARSEILLE

From Christel Durand of the French Class Association - Day two of the SNIM regatta in Marseille produced winds from the south east which varied frequently as well as osciallting iregularly. Despite the weather four windward leeward races were completed although the day was rich in surprises as starts under the black flag benefitted the cautious and rigorous skippers. Top teams today were Blu Moon (Franco Rossini), Team Barbarians (Stuart Simpson), Sogetti (Benjamin Cohen) and Altead (Andrea Racchelli). With six races now completed (five to count) the overall leader is Blu Moon, skippered by Flavio Favini with tactician Tixiano Nava.

"It was a difficult day" said Quentin Strauss of Team Gill with quintessential British reserve of the wet and misserable conditions. True to its promise the Race Committee introduced a black flag following the first general recall, and thus 19 boats were eliminated BFD.

In the first race it was Blu Moon who took the line honours followed by Joe Fly (Giovani Maspero) and another Italian Ale Ali (Ezio Amadori).
The second race marked the beginning of the most difficult conditions
starting with a complete shut down of the wind on the first leg which
caught out Joe Fly. Team Barbarians (Stuart Simpson with helm Rob Smith) took the race from Italy's Alina (Maruizio Abba) and Nautica (Riccardo Simoneschi).

In the third race came victory for the Monagasque Sogetti (Benjamin Cohen) ahead of the Norwegian Lek (Geir Dahl Andersen) and the local Hyerois Doctore Jgolo (Jean Paul Douchy).

In the fourth race the first part of the fleet rounded the weather mark and
crossed the spreader leg comfortably but then the wind stopped almost
completely leaving the second half of the fleet tacking back and forth in
an attept to round the spreader mark. It was the Altea (Andrea Racchelli) who came out on top at the finish in front of Italy's Firebolt (Carla Silva Ubertalli) and Sweden's Team SBAB (Ingemar Sunstedt).

In the overall standings only Blu Moon and Banca BSI have maintained their top 3 places whilst the French Big Ship Team (Paul Maxime) had an expensive day and yeilded their place to Alina. Nigel Young (several times winner of the SNIM on Black Seal with Jamie Lea) will tell you - to win the SNIM it takes consistency. Others would say excellence, since it is necessary to be able to sail with equal talent on both the perfect windy day and at the more difficult moments like today.