It’s Monday and it’s under a sunny sky that most of the  77 Minis registered for the 17th  Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy can be found in  Tréboul port whilst waiting for safety checks prior to departure on Thursday. The volunteers and organisers have happily set everything up this morning and everybody agrees that the long awaited summer has finally arrived on the tip of  Finistère ! But will it last .. ?

The weather situation is quite complex for the second half of the week. And it risks deteriorating  from Wednesday with a depression coming up rapidly from Spain to the Bay of Biscay then Ireland. So the wind might be light for the start of the race whilst a second depression, stormy, forms and generates a strong wind over the eastern area from Friday evening. Jean-Jacques Quéré, our weather specialist, remarks that the situation can of course evolve and  will be re-assessed for the pre-race briefing planned for Wednesday 18:00 via videoconference.

One week from the start of the  17th Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy, preparations at  Winches Club are picking up pace and the volunteer teams are organised according to strict  Covid-19 protocols. Everything will be ready on Monday to welcome  84 skippers  and  start their safety checks (the inventory of all the essential and regulatory equipment on board). For the moment the departure is expected to take place at  09:00 on Thursday  3 June.

The Mini season Atlantic races have  well and truly kicked off. After the Plastimo Lorient Mini was raced in full lockdown during  April, then the Pornichet Select and the Mini in  May which ends as I write these words, the Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy will be the 4^th race in  less than 2 months for certain. Tanguy Bouroullec, winner this morning of the  Mini in May, commented : « It was energetic! The whole time I had between  15 and 25 knots, the conditions were dynamic. But there was no sun. It was so grey that I didn’t even see the Glenans when I passed beside  them »

Let’s hope summer will make its appearance this time !

We find ourselves a little more than a month from the departure of the Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy, the first of two Mini races leaving from Douarnenez. The Plastimo-Lorient, which raced during confinement, has just finished and saw Hugo Dhallenne and Thibault Vauchel Camus win in Series (979), plus  Pierre le Roy and Cédric Faron winning with  the  imperial prototype 1019, Réseau étincelle.

The Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy and the Mini-Fastnet have been placed on the list of priority competitions by the French Sailing Federation and should take place on the dates concerned under a protocol adapted to the health situation;  less convivial perhaps but the warmth and good spirits of the Winches Club volunteers will still be present!

Dozens of boats are on the waiting list. And the organisation has just allowed 4 extra places, carrying the number of registrations for each race to 84. The competitors can’t wait to get to Douarnenez in June. Which makes for a very promising season.

Some wonderful conditions were brought together for this autumnal version of the 16th Marie-Agnès Peron Trophy. Good, varied weather and an unexpected  finish came together to bring the Mini season to a close.

Entering Douarnenez Bay was a really decisive moment and created quite a few disappointments last night.

But thankfully the hot meal served by the volunteer team was there to cheer everyone up on arrival. Thank you everyone and see you next year!

Finishing order – Prototype :

First : Fabio Muzzolini – 945 – crossed the line at 23:25,19’  which is 1 day 10 hrs 25min and 19 sec of racing

Second : Arno Biston the 551 in 1 day 12 hrs 11min 03sec

Third : Nolwenn Pébelier in 1 day 12 hrs 30min 45sec

Fourth : Emmanuel Renaud in 1 day 12 hrs 46min 03sec

Fifth : Benjamin Doyen in 1 day 12 hrs 54min 25sec

Finishing order -Séries :

First : Hugo Picard on the 1014 in 1 day 11hrs 06 min 59 sec

Second : Léo Debiesse the  966 (séries) in 1 day 11hrs 52min 19sec

Third : Lennart Burke on 943 (séries) in 1 day 11hrs 58min 15sec

Fourth : Loïc Blin on 871 (séries) in 1 day 12hrs 03min 03sec

Fifth : Jean-Marie Jézéquel on 1016 in 1 day 12hrs 04min 18sec

Podium Vintage Prototypes :

551 Arno Biston

606 Lucas Valenza-Troubat

433 Irana Gracheva

Podium Vintage Séries :

488 Antoine Biarnes

697 Hélène Clouet

671 Matthieu Lacharme

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Fabio Muzzolini crossed the line at 23:25:19 which is 1 day 10 hrs 25 min 19 sec of racing. Very happy with first victory « I really wanted to get in front of the Series category . The Maxi go really quickly The start was a bit intense and I quickly took the lead in the race. Next it was 24 hours of stress to keep my position :

There was a lovely night of surfing at Groix . Tartine is a really great boat built by a talented guy and a gentleman. Its also a demanding boat . With my first Transat I passed over on the performance, with the 945 I will remedy that next year.

Arriving at 00:06:59 second Hugo Picard is the first serie on the 1014 « It was intense. I was lucky ! It’s not over until you’re over the finish line. There were a lot of different rhythms. It’s my fourth race of the season, I started on Mini’s on 1^st July last year. Three years ago I did a transatlantic on a 7m boat in 31 days…. I want to go faster in 2021.

Podium Proto

1 : Fabio Muzzolini – 945 –  1d 10h 25min 19 sec de course

2 : Arno Biston le 551 – 1d 12h 11min 03sec

3 : Nolwenn Pébelier – 1d 12h 30min 45sec

4 : Emmanuel Renaud –  1d12h 46min 03sec

5 : Benjamin Doyen – 1d 12h 54min 25sec

Podium Série :

1 : Hugo Picard  1014 – 1d11h 06 min 59 sec

2 : Léo Debiesse  966 – 1d 11h 52min 19sec

3 : Lennart Burke   943 – 1d11h 58min 15sec

4: Loïc Blin   871 – 1d 12h 03min 03sec

5 : Jean-Marie Jézéquel  1016 – 1d12h 04min 18sec

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At 21:30 only two boats have entered the Bay:

Fabio Muzzolini’s 945 Tartine

Hugo Picard’s 1014 Kiraucassis

They’re making their way slowly to the finish line and should arrive in an hour.

Behind them, clever would be the person who guesses who will be next on dry land..

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The wind dropping at the end of this afternoon reshuffles the cards.

At 17:00, whilst  Fabio Muzzolini on Tartine the  945 seems to have got going again, Nolwenn Pébelier has taken 2^nd position followed by  Arno Biston on the 551 Bahia Express.

Amongst  the Series, Hugo Dhallenne seems likes he’s attempted a very northerly option at Basse du Lis which could really cost him dearly. At the moment, 16 nautical miles from the finish, we have  Hugo Picard on the 1014 neck and neck with  Jean-Marie Jézéquel on the 1016 who dominate, 0.6 miles ahead of  Lennart Burke (943) and Léo Debiesse (966). We’re getting  ready for a great final in Douarnenez Bay !

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After the first long, cold night, the fleet stretches from the Glénans to Sein island, over sixty nautical miles. No changes to note  with the course leader. Tartine the prototype 975 skippered by Fabio Muzzolini holds first place with a small lead – 4 short miles –  over Hugo Dhallenne skipper of the series  979 YC Saint Lunaire. They’re followed by  Numerobis – 787, the prototype sailed  by  Nolwenn Pébelier. A few miles further we find Jean-Marie Jézéquel on the  1016-Branchet-KPL and  Anne-Claire Le Berre’s 1005-Millenium.

Around  10 miles after the  first prototype, Emmanuel Renaud’s  753-Aventure Océan marks  the rear  of the first group, which numbers ten boats. They might be close to the finish line, now  less than 40 miles away, but the competitors will soon slow down with the wind dropping. They will need patience before they can enjoy the hot meal served on their return. They also need to be careful with the tide whose range is 108 this afternoon.

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