The 40 Mumm 30’s participating in the 25th Tour de France à la Voile have lined up today at the start line of the « prologue », a non point scoring race. Rob Greenhalgh’s Panther : Team GBR have won this tune up race that took place off Dunkerque in force four strength winds, of 15 to at times 20 knots, was blessed by constant sunshine.
After a long postponement the race got off to a clear start, the fleet that generally started to the pin end (left end of the line) split into two with Panther : Team GBR taking the clean air and going right up the beat. At the windward mark the fleet was tightly packed with Panther : Team GBR being quickly followed by Jimmy Pahun’s Region Ile de France. The first run proved particularly dramatic with Sylvain Chtounder’s Theoule Mandelieu getting their spinnaker caught on a spectator boat and on the second run CSC Essec skippered by Hervé Gautier crashed gybing and taking out several other boats in the process. After the round up of the third buoy the top positions for the race were well established, and Panther : Team Panther went on to take victory. Their strong lead established caused French spectators to liken Panther : Team GBR’s style and flare for sailing to that of Adrian Stead’s winning Barlo Plastics in 2000.
"We’re pleased with the boat speed and the way things went. We’re looking forward to doing some proper racing tomorrow", said Rob Greenhalgh once back on the dock. The top ten held places for three other foreign boats but also heralded surprises in the form of the student boat Ensam HEC who finished second overall. The latter is skippered by Marc Emig, a professional sailor, who has participated many times in this event. Royal Thames, the other English boat, skippered by Owen Modral, had a successful race as they finished third in the amateur division. Although none of these places count for points, the British teams are demonstrating that they mean business and intent to reach their goals.
The test will now be consistency and achieving a string of solid results, which are essential in order to win the Tour de France à la Voile. This first days racing sets a precedence for close racing and just goes to show that you never will know what will happen with the Tour de France à la Voile.
Isabelle Musy
Prologue results
– 1. Panther : Team GBR / Rob Greenhalgh
– 2. ENSAM-HEC /Marc Emig
– 3. Nantes –St-Nazaire / Pierre Loïc Berthet
– 4. Région Ile de France / Jimmy Pahun
– 5. Ville d’Antibes-NEC / Julien Farnarier
Saturday June 29th : two inshore races (Race 1 and Race 2)
Dans la même rubrique
-
en : TP 52
On the 52 SUPER SERIES’ return to the Mediterranean after two regattas in the Atlantic, 2025 circuit leaders American Magic Quantum Racing scored a resounding victory today on the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, lifting the top prize at Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week.
-
fr : Circolo della Vela Sicilia
After leaving Mondello, just north of Palermo, at midday on Tuesday, competition in the Maxi class, part of the 41 boat fleet in the annual Palermo-Montecarlo, was decided on Thursday. The IRC corrected time victory went to a first time winner, while one of the race’s most frequent competitors was again both first home and set a new race (…)
-
en : SailGP Championship 2025
In a stunning weekend comeback, the France SailGP Team claimed their first event win of the 2025 Season – bouncing back from near-disaster in practice to beat the BONDS Flying Roos and Emirates GBR in an action-packed winner-takes-all Final.
-
en : New Protocol
The Defender of the America’s Cup, The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Team New Zealand, and the Challenger of Record, The Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, represented by Athena Racing, have signed the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup set to take place in Naples, in the summer of 2027. The Protocol introduces a (…)
-
en : Offshore racing | Cowes - Cherbourg
Alexis Loison and Jean-Pierre Kelbert’s JPK 1050 Léon has been crowned overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race. No other boat still racing on the 695 nautical mile course can catch the French doublehanded duo for overall honours in this, the 51st edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s offshore classic.
-
en : Cowes • Team racing
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is delighted to announce the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) as the winner of the 2025 Admiral’s Cup. After an intense battle during the RORC Channel Race, six inshore races in the Solent and the prestigious finale, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Yacht Club de Monaco team is victorious. Runner-up for the Admiral’s Cup (…)
A la une
Articles les plus récents
-
fr : IMOCA Nexans - Wewise
Le skipper journaliste a franchi ce mardi à 15h 00m 49s la ligne d’arrivée du Vendée Globe en 32e position après 114 jours, 01h, 58min, 49s de mer. Un Vendée Globe placé sous le sceau de la résilience qui lui permet de réaliser la performance de boucler la course autour du monde en solitaire et sans assistance tout juste deux ans après avoir (…)
-
fr : Team sportif • Lorient
Après avoir dirigé avec succès le Team Banque Populaire depuis 21 ans, Ronan Lucas a décidé de prendre un nouveau virage et de voguer vers de nouvelles aventures. Les Banques Populaires et les membres du Team tiennent à remercier chaleureusement Ronan pour son engagement qui a contribué à mener la Banque de la Voile aux sommets de la course au (…)
-
en : Antigua | Caribbean islands
Juan K 88 Lucky, skippered by Bryon Ehrhart, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2025 RORC Caribbean 600 in an elapsed time of 01 Day 17 Hrs 14 Mins and 12 Secs. Farr 100 Leopard 3, skippered by Joost Schuijff, fought tooth and nail to retain their title from 2024, but ended the race in a fierce battle with Roy P. Disney’s Volvo 70 Pyewacket (…)
-
fr : Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue - Granville
Comme chaque année, le tour des ports de la Manche est de retour pour une nouvelle édition. Du 6 au 11 juillet 2025, les équipages rallieront différents ports de la Manche et des îles anglo-normandes autour d’un nouveau parcours marqué par un départ depuis Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue et une arrivée le 11 juillet à Granville.
-
en : World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL) TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge unfolded in challenging 25-35 foot waves at the world-famous Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal. The best big wave surfers had major performances with today’s consistent conditions offering plenty of waves in every heat. The strong offshore wind made it more challenging, with (…)
-
fr : Horizon29 Course au large
Sous les applaudissements d’une équipe passionnée et d’un public conquis par l’audace et l’aventure, l’IMOCA flambant neuf d’Horizon 29 glisse enfin dans les eaux bretonnes. Ce moment, empreint d’émotion et de fierté, symbolise bien plus qu’un simple lancement technique : il marque l’aboutissement de mois de travail acharné, de collaborations (…)
-
en : Inshore racing • Spain
The Italian Jesper Karlsen (Fraglia Vela Riva) has been proclaimed absolute champion of the 35th Palamós International Optimist Trophy and Spain has revalidated the title as winner of the 19th Nations Cup. In this way Karlsen will inscribe his name the Permanent Vila de Palamós Optimist Trophy breaking a streak of three consecutive Spanish (…)
-
fr : Madère - Martinique
A 10h 39 (heure de Paris), ce vendredi 14 février, le Royannais Alexandre Ozon a remporté sa 3e Transquadra Madère Martinique d’affilée, à la barre de son Bepox 990 rose ‘’Team 2 Choc’’. « C’était la plus belle de toutes mes transats ! »
-
fr : MerConcept
Le projet UpWind by MerConcept - créé en en 2024 par MerConcept et son partenaire fondateur 11th Hour Racing et visant à promouvoir la diversité et l’inclusion en course au large – est ravi d’annoncer l’arrivée d’Anne-Claire Le Berre en tant que nouvelle skipper pour la saison 2025. Cette nomination marque une nouvelle étape dans la mission (…)
-
fr : FFVoile | eSailing
Samedi 8 février, la Fédération Française de Voile organisait la 6e édition du Championnat de France eSailing (inshore). Les 10 finalistes avaient rendez-vous au siège de la fédération pour une soirée de régates virtuelles très relevées. Au terme de 11 courses qualificatives et d’une finale extrêmement disputée, Stéphane Galzin (alias (…)