The first to cross the finish line of the MAP Trophy, at 4.11am under the lightning of a thunderstorm, was Romain Legall (Les optimistes-secours populaire 987) and he was very proud to have beaten the whole fleet of protos on his Maxi production boat!  Among the first to arrive, Arnaud Rambaud (Permis de construire Acieo 850) said “We had a squall at the beginning of the night when we passed the Chaussée de Sein, the 25 knots helped us to cross the Chaussée  against the current, it was good” before adding in agreement with Romain “The short races – 195 NM – like this one are the most difficult in terms of fatigue management, the fleet is very tight and we don’t have time to find a sleep rhythm. Arnaud, second in the Proto class, crossed the line at 5:14, 16 minutes after Laure Galley (DMG Mori 1048). This is Laure’s second victory, after her double victory in the Plastimo Lorient in mid-April, when she took over the brand new Maxi Raison barely two months ago. A very promising start…! With Julie Simon (DynaMIPS 963) in 3rd place in the series ranking, that makes two female podiums among the 13 skippers  present on the race.

 

At 12:30, 24 boats out of 73 have arrived in Douarnenez. While the skippers are discussing the race over a coffee at the Maison du Nautisme, those still at sea are in a very light wind of maximum 5 knots. Indeed the fleet broke up a lot during the night. A good part of the Minis are already in the bay of Douarnenez with an average speed of 3 knots while the rest of the fleet is following erratic trajectories in the bay of Audierne, without wind. The finish line closes at 10pm, 18 hours after the first one arrived. Some of them will not be able to cross the line because of the lack of wind. But it’s only a postponement because the Mini-Fastnet starts in 10 days from Douarnenez and many of the competitors present at the MAP will also race in this legendary double-handed regatta!

Podium Series :

987 Les optimistes Secours Populaire 17 – Romain Legall – 04hr12

991 Sport dans la Ville Time for the Planet – Jean Marre – 05hr01

963 DynaMIPS – Julie Simon – 05hr03

 

Prototype podium :

1048 DMG Mori Sailing Academy – Laure Galley – 04hr58

850 Acieo Permis de Construire – Arnaud Rambaud – 05hr14

759 Layline – Uros Krasevac – 5hr27

 

The MAP Trophy is going according to plan in light winds. Apart from a torn mainsail a few hours after the start of the race, there are no new retirements to report and the gap between the first and the last (Friday afternoon) has increased by about thirty nautical miles.

That said, the whole fleet remained relatively compact until Friday morning. At around 08:00, a group of about 10 boats is stuck to the north of Groix Island, probably without wind and victim of the current, while the others have already gone around the island and are starting the return journey. Romain Legall, who competed in the Mini-Transat 2021 is leading the race, ahead of the whole fleet. He is followed by Titouan Quiviger on the 1009 Biscuit, new in the Mini class. Among the prototypes, the lead is between Arnaud Rambaud on the 850- ACIERO, Uros  Kraevac on the 759 and Laure Galley on the new 1048-DMG.

“The weather is good for a first solo race, as it is for many of the competitors, it allows us to see how the newcomers negotiate the light winds and for them, to avoid breakages” announces Didier Cozic, race referee. The first competitors are expected  at midnight on Friday night, and will have to sail upwind in a wind which rises from the north to 15 knots in Audierne Bay in the late afternoon and drops off at the end of the night. The skippers will have the current against them as they pass through the Raz de Sein  and some stormy squalls are still expected. The end of the race may hold some surprises!

cover photo: sunrise on Groix Island by Yves Chenot

 

 

 

 

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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