Since the boats were re-launched in mid-March after their winter refit, both Gitana were able to validate the modifications carried out throughout the winter months with a view to optimising the boats for the new ORMA season. And a heavy programme it is too, with two ocean races, five Grand Prix and several complementary events (Trophée SNSM from Saint-Nazaire to Saint Malo in mid-April, Giraglia from Saint-Tropez to Genoa in mid-June and the Défi Petit Navire in Douarnenez at the end of August). Gitana X will be sailing in the Bay of Quiberon from Tuesday until Friday with her 11-strong Grand Prix crew on board, with the exception of Mayeul Riffet who is on a weather training course in Paris. Together with Sylvain Mondon, Mayeul will be taking care of routing for the Transat Jacques Vabre in November. Thierry Duprey and fellow crew member Erwan Le Roux shall be leaving next week to carry out their qualifying passage in view of this race from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia. The pair will be covering the 2 000 nautical mile long passage in race configuration off the coast of Brittany. Mayeul Riffet and Sylvain Mondon will be providing strategy and weather support from ashore.
In Port La Forêt, Gitana 11 will have three other trimarans to pit herself against throughout the week as her crew get down to training once again and validate the optimising transformations made to their steed over the winter. There should be a clear improvement in her speed potential. Géant (Michel Desjoyeaux), Groupama-2 (Franck Cammas) and Banque Populaire-4 (Pascal Bidegorry) will be sailing the same waters. Crew configuration for Fred Le Peutrec will be almost identical to the final Grand Prix version – Jean-Baptiste Levaillant is being replaced by Franck Citeau who will come and back the team up at the end of the season, and the Baron Benjamin de Rothschild will be surrendering his place for this training session to the Gitana Team coach, Philippe Neiras. A busy programme headed up by Christian Le Pape and Loïc Ponceau from the Port La Forêt Training Centre. The comparison of Gitana 11’s speed potential with three of her Multihull World Championship competitors will be extremely enriching. Both Gitana will be together off Belle-Île on Friday for a photo and video shoot.
As for the Spi Ouest France, the result is mitigated for the Gitana Team, but it must be emphasised that the level was particularly high with twenty Open 7.50 lined up on the start for five rounds in a medium breeze and one race in light air. Both Gitana seemed to lack speed in moderate conditions and in spite of one or two good tactical moves, neither ever really threatened the leaders. It should never the less be pointed out that Caroline Vieille, the only woman crew member on the ORMA 2005 circuit who is on Gitana-10, was bowman on Adonnante.com (2nd in the Spi Ouest France with Nicolas Groleau at the helm), that Antoine Mermod, trimmer on Gitana 11 and in charge of research and development for the Gitana Team, was on Jaouen-Bostik (3rd in the Spi Ouest France with Charles Caudrelier at the helm) and that Alex Marmorat, winchman on Gitana X supported Marc Guillemot on Vecteur Plus (5th in the Spi Ouest France).
Overall rankings – Spi Ouest France for the Open 7.50 after six rounds (one retired) :
1 (16.00 points) COINCIDENCES V. Riou (6.00) 5.00 2.00 1.00 5.00 3.00
2 (17.00 points) ADONNANTE.COM N. Groleau 2.00 2.00 5.00 (13.00) 1.00 7.00
3 (20.00 points) JAOUEN BOSTIK C.Caudrelier Benac 1.00 9.00 6.00 (11.00) 3.00 1.00
4 (22.00 points) PAPREC RECYCLAGE JP. Dick (8.00) 3.00 4.00 6.00 4.00 5.00
5 (27.00 points) VECTEUR PLUS M. Guillemot 9.00 1.00 3.00 (18.00) 8.00 6.00
6 (32.00 points) FONCIA-TBS A. Le Cléac’h 3.00 10.00 7.00 4.00 (13.00) 8.00
7 (32.00 points) LS TEAM FONCIA A. Gautier 5.00 4.00 8.00 9.00 6.00 (12.00)
8 (36.00 points) KERVILOR-VANEK Nisin/Belbéoch 12.00 7.00 1.00 (15.00) 2.00 14.00
9 (40.00 points) IMMOBILIER MOCQUARD WISKY CLUB D. Le Mené 7.00 (14.00) 9.00 8.00 7.00 9.00
10 (45.00 points) OUESTJOB.COM L. Peyron 10.00 (13.00) 13.00 3.00 9.00 10.00
11 (46.00 points) GITANA PIN’S F. Le Peutrec 4.00 11.00 10.00 10.00 11.00 (21.00)
12 (48.00 points) GUYADER L’ESPRIT DE LA MER E. Dubois 13.00 8.00 11.00 5.00 (15.00) 11.00
13 (56.00 points) O TOMATE F. Leonart (21.00) 6.00 15.00 16.00 17.00 2.00
14 (57.00 points) ZIZ ZAG JUNIOR F. Raillard 14.00 (16.00) 14.00 2.00 14.00 13.00
15 (58.00 points) COYOTE B. Troublé 15.00 15.00 (16.00) 14.00 10.00 4.00
16 (59.00 points) GITANA JUNIOR T. Duprey 11.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 (16.00)
17 (82.00 points) ELECTRA T. Ponroy (21.00) 21.00 21.00 7.00 18.00 15.00
18 (84.00 points) LA MARQUE JAUNE JP. Chomette 16.00 (19.00) 17.00 17.00 16.00 18.00
19 (89.00 points) FERRUM JP. Gérard 17.00 18.00 18.00 (19.00) 19.00 17.00
20 (97.00 points) OPEN YOUR EYES D. Poisson (21.00) 17.00 19.00 20.00 20.00 21.00
Crew – Gitana X for training sessions in La Trinité/Mer
Thierry Duprey du Vorsent – skipper
Erwan Le Roux – Tacticien/strategy
Jacques Guichard – Headsail trimmer
Caroline Vieille – Headsail trimmer
Mathieu Tatibouët – Mainsail traveller
Yann Le Govic – Mainsail trimmer
Alex Marmorat – Winch
Xavier Dagault – Winch
Mayeul Riffet – Pit
Antoine Carpentier – Mast (N°2)
Léopold Lucet – Bowman (N°1)
Crew – Gitana 11 for training sessions in Port La Forêt
Frédéric Le Peutrec – skipper
Philippe Neiras – Performer
Yann Guichard – Tactician
Yann Marilley – Headsail trimmer
Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant – Trimmer
Jean-Baptiste Epron – Mainsail trimmer
Loïc Le Mignon – Winch and mainsail traveller
Franck Citeau – Winch
Antoine Mermod – Pit
François Denis – Mast (N°2)
Christophe Lassègue – Bowman (N°1)