TEAM GILL CONTINUE TO LEAD FRENCH NATIONALS ON DAY TWO

Four further races were run on the second day of the Melges 24 French National Championship in Lorient bring the total races to 6. With bright sun and northerly force 3 winds the crew of D’aucy helmed by Bruno Jourdren took two wins, Britain’s Gill (Stuart Rix) another and finally another for the young crew of Cotes d’Armor (Thomas Rouxel). Gill and D’aucy very clearly marked their advantage with boat speed noticeably higher that their competitors. Meanwhile behind them the battle rages! Having moved the course and reduced the leg length to 1.2 miles the competitors enjoyed fast and furious racing in relatively flat waters. The Race Committee had to bring the black flag into play on three of the starts.

In the third race it was Bruno Jourdren/D’aucy who took the advantage on Stuart Rix/Gill, with Englishman Tim Collins/Easy Tiger in third. Jimmy Pahun/Region Ile de France then preceded Tomas Rouxel/Cotes d’Armor. Thomas Rouxel and his team took the fourth race showing their elders that the young can have something to teach them. Second was Rix/Gill and third Jourdren/D’aucy. Fourth Ronan Treussart/Guy Hoquet Immobilier (the other boat of Team Cotes d’Armor) and fifth Hyeroir Christopher Barrue/Eurovoiles.

The hierarchy of the Melges is restored again in the fifth race with Jourdren in front of Gill and Eurovoiles. The other Hyerois Pierre-Yves Lambert/J’Gaulo placed fourth and in fifth position we have Jean-Francoise Cruette/Scutum, who made a good first day of the championship. The sixth race black flag ruling caught out Cotes D’Armor, SNL Plastimo and Diazo Copy who were too greedy on the line. Gill again takes its place and carries the race from Scutum and then D’Aucy; fourth Région Ile de France and fifth Euro-Voiles.

Two more days of competition remain. FULL RESULTS.