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 : Course au large • Cowes-Cherbourg
Le trimaran SVR–Lazartigue, mené par Tom Laperche, a franchi le premier la ligne d’arrivée de la Rolex Fastnet Race ce lundi à 5h38 du matin à Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, remportant ainsi le Line Honour Multicoque, distinction réservée au premier multicoque à boucler le parcours. Il aura fallu 1 jour, 4 heures, 2 minutes et 53 secondes à l’équipage (…)
-
fr : Trimaran Banque Populaire XI
À l’issue d’une course haletante, le Maxi Banque Populaire XI a franchi la ligne d’arrivée ce lundi au petit matin à 6h23. Après 1 jour, 18 heures et 3 minutes de course, l’équipage autour d’Armel Le Cléac’h termine à 45 minutes du vainqueur (SVR-Lazartigue). Un sprint qui contribue à poursuivre la montée en puissance de l’Ultime avant la (…)
-
en : Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue
Aboard Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, skipper Tom Laperche and his crew claimed victory this Monday, July 28, in the 51st edition of the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race, from Cowes (UK) to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (France). Already winners of the previous edition and current course record holders, the crew delivered a strong performance just months ahead (…)
-
en : Windsurf
Sotavento once again delivered the goods for the 37th edition of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, as we were treated to some of the best racing on the World Tour over the opening five days in Slalom X, while the Freestyle fleets continued to raise the bar on what is possible on flatwater over two intense days of competition.
-
en : ClubSwan Racing’s Nations League
The curtain falls on the first edition of the Swan Lake Garda Challenge, the third leg of the ClubSwan Racing’s Nations League and the first ever held on a lake. From July 23 to 26, the event brought the excitement of racing exclusively in the ClubSwan 28 class to the waters of Lake Garda.
-
fr : Mini 650 • Talmont-Saint-Hilaire
Le suspense n’aura duré que le temps d’un près. Après le départ de la 2e étape donné à Gijon mercredi 23 juillet, Benoit Marie (1067) s’est rapidement envolé sur ses foils à l’avant de la flotte. Dans une allure au près où Nicomatic-Petit Bateau est censé être moins performant, il était talonné par la paire Pozzoli-Chapot (1026). Mais la (…)
-
en : Gdynia Sailing Days festival
The 2025 eSailing World Championship has concluded with a dramatic final live from Gdynia as part of the Gdynia Sailing Days festival. Tristan Péron (asere) became eSailing’s first double world champion after qualifying for five finals, including his previous title win in Trieste in 2023.
-
fr : Ocean Fifty Edenred
Edenred, engagé dans la course au large depuis 2018, entame un nouveau cycle avec la mise à l’eau de son Ocean Fifty ce 18 juillet 2025 au Verdon-sur-Mer. Une journée empreinte d’émotions pour Basile Bourgnon, Emmanuel Le Roch et tous les acteurs mobilisés autour de la réalisation de ce premier trimaran Edenred par les équipes du Neo Sailing (…)
-
en : Foiling skiffs
Confirming their leadership in the 69F Class, where they had won the European title just a few weeks ago, the Finns of FIN 1 Racing also won Act 2 of the 69F Cup, held over the weekend in Torbole, thanks to the organization of the Circolo Vela Torbole.
-
fr : Class 40
Le skipper normand Fabien Delahaye a remporté avec brio la deuxième étape de Les Sables – Horta – Les Sables. En s’imposant en solitaire au terme d’un parcours complexe entre les Açores et la Vendée, il prend également la tête du classement général de cette 10e édition.