Multihull One Design-ORMA 70

The MOD70's are approaching the finish in Cascais about 115nm to go in fairly unfavourable conditions.

 

Spindrift came in first followed by Foncia and Musandam/Oman Sail who seem to be working their way up to speed.


http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/575/the-men-in-black-beat-the-mod70-dawn-patrol-to-win-leg-2-and-lead-overall.html

The men in black beat the MOD70 dawn patrol to win Leg 2 and lead overall


Breaking the finish line off Cascais at 05hours 37minutes 36seconds UTC (06hrs 37mins 36secs local) this Wednesday morning Yann Guichard and the crew of Spindrift racing won the 975 miles second leg of the MOD70 European Tour from Dun Laoghaire, by Dublin, Ireland to Cascais by Lisbon in Portugal.

Spindrift racing took 2 days 15 hours 37 minutes 36 minutes for the 975 miles course, at a theoretical average of 15.25kts. They sailed a real distance of1112 miles at an average of 17.47kts.


After finishing a close second in last week’s finish to Leg 1 into Dun Laoghaire when they arrived from Kiel, German and also winning the City Race series on Dublin Bay, their Leg 2 victory ensures that Spindrift racing seize the overall lead of the MOD70 European Tour, by one single point over FONCIA

It proved another close finish in painfully light zephyrs, just as the sun was rising over Cascais. All four top finishers crossed the finish line within one hour. FONCIA, second, Musandam-Oman Sail, third, and Groupe Edmond de Rothshchild, fourth were each separated by 400 metres as they glided gracefully across the line. Frustratingly Musandam-Oman Sail conceded second in the final mile.

After leaving Dun Laoghaire on Sunday afternoon, Spindrift racing lead around the mythical Fastnet Rock on Monday morning but lost out temporarily yesterday when Sidney Gavignet’s Musandam Oman Sail, further offshore, took the lead off Cape Finisterre.

The leg to Portugal from Ireland delivered a great variety of conditions, with tough upwind sailing to Tuskar rock and then Fastnet, fast gennaker reaching south in bumpy seas until yesterday afternoon when a high pressure ridge imposed key tactical choices on the fleet.

But, after the breeze collapsed progressively yesterday afternoon and evening they had to deal with a transition zone of light winds for more than seven hours.

Guichard’s crew were back on top again early this morning. A key gybe at around 0300hrs this morning found them the best of a strong new NE’ly breeze first, and Spindrift racing moved clear of FONCIA. Then in brisk northerly winds boat speeds through the final hours of the race climbed spectacularly, regularly averaging over 30kts.

But as dawn arrived over Cascais once again the finish was nail-biting to the end. A foreboding sense of déjà vu prevailed on board Guichard’s MOD70 with the seeming threat of a repetition of Dublin Bay’s finish when Spindrift racing lost out to FONCIA in the final miles.

“ It was really nerve racking because there you are doing thirty knots and drop suddenly to 2knots. We just looked at each other and said it is going to be like the first leg!” grinned a relieved Guichard on the dock.

Of how the intensity of the offshore racing is playing out, with the fleet always in visual contact with at least one or two boats over the entire passage he comments:

“ It is just so stressful because we are in contact all the time, you see each other. It’s certainly not like on the ORMA 60s where there was just such a difference in terms of boat speed you pretty much knew what the ranking would be before the race.”

From more than 30 knots Guichard’s leading MOD70 slowed to less than four in the millpond conditions for the final five miles off the Cascais coast. FONCIA and Musandam-Oman Sail proved an ever increasing threat, still closing at more than 30kts when the leader was making only four or five knots.

Finally only four miles separated the top four MOD70’s, and Spindrift racing’s margin was cut to less than one mile.

In fact Spindrift racing enjoyed a tiny breeze to the line whilst their pursuers arrived on a glassy lake. FONCIA, Musandam-Oman Sail and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, just equidistant from each other, sliding under gennaker along the marina breakwater.

Stève Ravussin’s Race for Water finished less than a mile behind them in fifth. After leading from Ireland Ravussin’s crew lost a few hours repairing a small problem with their mainsail halyard hook.


Leg 2 finish Cascais (UTC time)
1-Spindrift racing EUR (Yann Guichard, FRA) September 12 at 5h 37 '36: 2d 15h 37' 36 to 15.5 knots average
2 - FONCIA FRA (Michel Desjoyeaux FRA) at 6h 26 '49: 2d 16h 26' 49 (+49mins 13secs)
3 – Musandam- Oman Sail OMA (Sidney Gavignet FRA) at 6h 33 '22: 2d 16h 33' 22 (+55mins 46secs)
4 - Groupe Edmond de Rothschild FRA (Sébastien Josse FRA) 6h 37 '36: 2d 16h 37' 36 (1 hour)
5 - Race for Water SUI (Steve Ravussin SUI) 06:53:30 2d 16h 53m 30s

+1hour 15m 54s

Ranking MOD70 European Tour
(Kiel City Race Stage 1 + with + bonus + Dun Laoghaire City Race Stage 2 with bonus)
1 - Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) 11 +47 +12 +52 = 122 Points
2 - FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) 12 +53 +10 +46 = 121 Points
3-Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) 10 +44 +11 +41 = 106 Points
4 - Musandam, Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) 9 +34 +8 +42 = 93 Points
5 - Race for Water (Steve Ravussin) 8 +38 +9 +35 = 90 Points

 

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/591/a-packed-programme-in-portugal.html

A Packed Programme in Portugal


After the two offshore legs to Dun Laoghaire and then Cascais, the five MD70’s are due a rest day this Thursday, but this week in Cascais thereafter is fully packed, placing a lot of pressure on the teams and their shore crew, leading up to the start of the penultimate offshore stage to Marseille on Thursday 20th September.


Eight City Races are on the programme for Cascais and probably three Speed Matches as well as the third offshore stage – a ‘Round Portugal Race’ all scheduled before the leg from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean.

The crews had yesterday to recover from that intense leg from Dun Laoghaire where there was little chance to sleep and recover during the mix of strong and light winds conditions and the key transition stages. There were no major tasks on the job lists for the technical shore teams, but all the MOD70’s are undergoing the usual pit-stop maintenance. FONCIA had their small problem with the rudder downhaul system which should be quite straightforward to deal with in port.

The weather picture is not looking as good as it is for today. Friday and the weekend sees the gradient breeze dissipate and give way to lighter winds, more reliant on the sea breeze, 10-14kts from the ESE in the afternoons for the Cascais City Races.

On Friday the five MOD70’s will do two coastal City Races up the Tagus to Lisbon. First start is 1400hrs local (1300hrs UTC) with a finish at the heart of city in the famous Praça do Comercio. Then after a race back there will be a Speed Match. Racing starts on Saturday again at 1400hrs local and on Sunday the Cascais City Races champion will be crowned after three final races and a speed match.

There is no time to rest after the weekend because on Monday at 1000hrs the third offshore stage starts – a middle distance race of about 558 miles with the possibility of shortening according to the weather conditions. Finally, after a break on Wednesday, Sept 19th, the crews will prepare for the fourth stage which starts Thursday. The course to Marseille passes the Balearics and god north of the Porquerolles.

Ranking MOD70 European Tour

(Kiel City Race Stage 1 + with + bonus + Dun Laoghaire CityRace second step with bonus)

1 - Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) 11 +47 +12 +52 = 122 Points

2 - FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) 12 +53 +10 +46 = 121 Points

3-Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) 10 44 11 41 = 106points

4 - Musandam, Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) 9 +34 +8 +42 = 93 Points

5 - Race for Water (Steve Ravussin) 8 +38 +9 +35 = 90 Points

 

From Multi One Design media. Musandam-Oman Sail are doing well in the city races at Cascais. Good to see them getting to be more competitive as they learn about the boat.

Musandam-Oman Sail lead


After three City Race series heats off Cascais it is the quiet consistency of Sidney Gavignet’s hard working Musandam-Oman Sail team which prevails. As a light sea-breeze gave way to a very slightly stronger N’ly wind, Musandam-Oman Sail added their first race win this season to a pair of third places to lead the overall standings in Portugal by one single point.


" It is nice to get a pay off for our hard work.” Smiled Gavignet on the dock at the Marina de Cascais, “ We re-grouped a bit after the second race, because I heard a little shouting on board, so we just cooled things down a little, and so now we are all doing our own work, each doing their job.”

“ And, again, for us it always important to keep a good atmosphere on board. That is key. I said that before the MOD70 European Tour, today that is the key, and that is the key for the future for a round the world race. So we are happy, we stay relaxed.”



The light conditions placed a greater emphasis on starting, though there were opportunities to make gains and losses around the Cascais City Race tracks.

After Groupe Edmond de Rothschild won the first race and Race for Water triumphed in the second, it looked as if the MOD70 European Tour leader Spindrift racing was on course to lead thanks to their two second places.



But on the third start of the day Yann Guichard’s team were judged to have jumped the start gun. Race for Water were closed out on the start line and then had to take a penalty. So Spindrift racing had to wait midway along the first short reaching leg until Race for Water had exonerated themselves, Spindrift racing allowed by the rules to tuck behind the last boat at the first mark rather than re-cross the start.



It was a tough day for FONCIA. They rescued a second from that scrappy third race start but their first two starts left them on the back foot, resulting in two fifth places. Indeed it looked like Michel Desjoyeaux’s team had shed a few unnecessary points in their overall duel with Spindrift racing until Guichard jumped the start.



The first race was to have been a race downwind to Lisbon in a SW’ly breeze of about 8kts but the race committee decided that there was insufficient wind in the Tagus river to ensure fair, meaningful racing and so brought the fleet back upwind to Cascais. Sébastien Josse and the crew of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild took command early and was able to win this first race ahead of Spindrift racing and Musandam-Sail Oman.



Thereafter it was two typical triangle courses. Stève Ravussin’s team nailed the start in the second raced, flying off the line with their gennaker set on Race for Water to build an immediate lead which they held to the finish line.


A well timed start to the third race, leaving the line with good speed, meant Musandam-Oman Sail were able to capitalise from the first mark all the way around the course, leading Michel Desjoyeaux's FONCIA across the finish lie by a comfortable margin.



It was a messy start though as Race for Water were closed out at the committee boat end of the start line. Steve Ravussin's crew then had to take a penalty after they started. And so when Spindrift racing jumped the start gun, as the rule requires them not to restart but to follow the last boat around the first mark, they were therefore forced to stop and wait for Race for Water to exonerate themselves.



FONCIA and Musandam-Oman Sail stayed clear of trouble and ran away with first and second. The race was sailed in NE'ly wind 9-12 kts.





Cascais City Race series after three races.



1- Musandam-Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) : 10+10+12 = 32 points



2- Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) : 11+11+9 = 31 points



3- Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) : 12+9+10 = 31 points



4- Race for Water (Stève Ravussin) : 9+12+8 = 29 points



5- FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) : 8+8+11 = 27 points



Quote:

Sidney Gavignet, skipper-helm Musandam-Oman Sail:

“It is nice to get a pay off for our hard work. I am usually a very bad starter but we are getting better and have been working on it since Kiel. The secret is to have a plan, a very simple plan. We have the feeling to always be doing the same and so we have been working on that. We have good communication on board now.”

“ We re-grouped a bit after the second race, because I heard a little shouting on board, so we just cooled things down a little, and so now we are all doing our own work, each doing their job. I did some very bad steering in the second race. But me focussing only on my job is giving some space to the others. And that is good for me because I am always disturbed by looking at the trim and the boards. And, again, for us it always important to keep a good atmosphere on board. That is key. I said that before the MOD70 European Tour, today that is the key, and that is the key for the future for a round the world race. So we are happy, we stay relaxed.”

“ It is nice to win of course, but so too it is nice to come ashore knowing we did good work. Now we stay relaxed, no stress. That is the way for the team to make progress. We want positive vibrations coming off everybody, that is important. I am using my Volvo experience here, it is not as long as a Volvo. But the mood in the team is very important, it is a long campaign and then there is another year beyond this. That is what I learned last winter. The atmosphere on board is very important.”

 

Musandam-Oman Sail won the city races in Cascais, Portugal with the consistent Spindrift Racing coming in second on points.

Results after six City Races
1- Musandam-Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) : 10+10+12+12+8+12 = 64 points
2- Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) : 11+11+9+10+12+9 = 62 points
3- Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) : 12+9+10+9+9+10 = 59 points
4- Race for Water (Stève Ravussin) : 9+12+8+8+10+11 = 58 points
5- FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) : 8+8+11+11+11+8 = 57 points

Overall Standings for the European Tour

MOD70 European Tour Standings. After two offshore stages and three City Race series.
1- Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) 11+47+12+52+11 = 133 points
2- FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) 12+53+10+46+8 = 129 points
3-Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) 10+44+11+41+10 = 116 points
4- Musandam-Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) 9+34+8+42+12 = 105 points
5- Race for Water (Stève Ravussin) 8+38+9+35+9 = 99 points

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/628/a-tale-of-three-cities-musandam-oman-sail-win-cascais-city-race-series.html

 

The next ocean leg is a short circuit race starting and finishing in Cascais. They are underway in light headwinds Foncia leading the way (they seem to be the light air specialists).

 

Foncia won the Cascais to Cascais ocean race. And now lead the points score by five points. Looks the "Professor" Mich Desjoyeaux and crew are the light wind specialists.

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/663/foncia-win-offshore-leg-3-cascais-to-casais-and-returns-to-top-of-mod70-european-tour-leaderboard.html

Heres a video with some comments from the skippers on the race and footage of the boats finishing.

 

The MOD70 teams are off on their next passage to Marseille from Cascais.

 

The MOD70's have now passed through the straits of Gibraltar in very light and mostly windward conditions.

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/729/giant-snakes-and-ladders.html

From the MOD70 European Tour website:

Giant snakes and ladders

Having set sail from Kiel in the Baltic Sea three weeks ago, the five MOD70s last night passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean on the fourth and penultimate leg of their European Tour. In extremely difficult conditions Musandam-Oman Sail has done well to hang on her lead while behind her private match races are developing.

Thanks to the anticyclone covering the breadth of southern Europe there has been nothing straightforward about this leg from Cascais to Marseille. The snakes and ladders seen across the fleet has caused unprecedented separation, the distance between first to last having expanded from 28 miles at 1230 UTC yesterday to 75 miles 24 hours on.

Musandam-Oman Sail led the fleet into the Strait of Gibraltar early yesterday evening, passing Tarifa at 1730 UTC. Spindrift racing was last to enter at around 2000 UTC, after they lost miles when the tackline for their gennaker broke. “We were able to repair it and continue on,” recounted skipper Yann Guichard. “But we lost a good dozen miles thanks to that and that's why FONCIA and Gitana [Groupe Edmon de Rothschild] got away from us.”

Passing through the Strait is always hazardous. This eight mile wide bottleneck is an extremely busy with shipping. For the MOD70s matters were made harder by the wind dying, the current and other factors, as Race for Water skipper Steve Ravussin described: “It was amazing: There was a lot of fog and a fine mist, it rained so there was moisture in the air. We could see the stars, but not the cargo ships - we just heard their foghorns.” On FONCIA Michel Desjoyeaux reported that they had had to take avoiding action to get out of the way of a ship that had erred away from its shipping lane.

East past Gibraltar and into the Alboran Sea, the wind shut down. This caused a substantial compression with Musandam-Oman Sail’s 24 mile lead at 1330 UTC reduced to just 8.9 miles six hours later. Over one 30-minute period at this time Groupe Edmond de Rothschild averaged just 0.6 knots. But the wind Gods continued to smile on Sidney Gavignet’s team with a very light breeze filling in from the east and by mid-afternoon today the Omani team’s lead had increased to 24.3 miles.

The early hours also proved a decisive time for the boats astern with Race for Water and FONCIA eventually able to make progress east in Musandam-Oman Sail’s wake, while Groupe Edmond de Rothschild tacked to cover Spindrift racing which was taking a northerly course through the Strait, shaving Gibraltar itself. However this proved disastrous for both boats as once they were out into the Alboran Sea they found themselves drifting west at the mercy of the current. From being 30 miles off the lead at midnight, within six hours their deficit had doubled.

“The wind varies between 1 and 3 knots with huge shifts, so it is not easy for us to get out of this trap. There is only one solution: patience,” announced a resigned Seb Josse from on board Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

Ahead of them the fight for second place now sees Race for Water trying to fend off overall race leader FONCIA, five miles to leeward at the mid-afternoon sched, while all the time trying to avoid any more wind holes. “We try to keep the boat on the rhum line as much as possible, but we don’t have much choice...” reported Race for Water skipper Stève Ravussin. “The land is far away and the thermal breeze is not easy to reach.”

Mid-afternoon Musandam-Oman Sail was some 36 miles southwest of Almeria, ghosting along at 6 knots in a light southeasterly. But despite holding the biggest lead so far seen in the MOD70 European Tour, she was not out of the woods with the wind due to shut off again tonight off Cabo de Gata, east of Almeria. Luckily for the Omanis the forecast looks no better for the boats astern and there was an air of resignation today among those trailing that the opportunities to catch the leader were fast running out.

Thankfully this pain will not last too much longer. By tomorrow afternoon with the arrival of a substantial depression over northern France a building southwesterly gradient wind should fill in. This will help propel the MOD70s north where their ETA into Marseille remains around midday Monday.


Another interesting article from LeFigaro linked by "Mr Ryano" on SA with Franck Cammas making some comments about MOD70 and future possibilities (sounds like he is committed to Volvo for now). Here is a rough google translate.

MOD70, America's Cup: Franck Cammas, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, is waiting to go active on a large project is a second edition of the world tour of the extreme.


Le Figaro: How we landed a victory in the Volvo Ocean Race?
Franck Cammas: I have not had much time to think about this victory. I immediately made ​​the small catamaran, I went to New Zealand and I biked. Then I went to Kiel to start the Tour de l'Europe in MOD70. The summer has not been easy! But it's nice. Around the Volvo Ocean Race, other things exist and move. The VOR, we lost some vision of what is around the America's Cup and multihulls in particular.

Your success he changed things about the stress?
No. For the America's Cup, I spent some time with Oracle before the VOR. I'll bring Luna Rossa for three months, but it was decided during the VOR. Steve Ravussin and then join the MOD70, whether around the world or not crew would not have changed the situation. I wanted to try this boat race. Steve does not have the budget to train like the others and the results are felt. But it is good, it can get back to level multihulls. It is not obvious at first, you must find its bearings. Two years and the arrival of the Route du Rhum, I was no longer mounted on multi.

What do you think about these MOD70?
boat This is a simple, quick, healthy enough for the relationship between the sail area, the mast height and length of the vessel is less extreme than the Orma. Less fickle, less dangerous, the crews push them even more, it is faster in the breeze and the bearing. By cons, in the little time they are a little heavier, are less than Orma course, but it shows less with monotypes. There is not all the artifices of Orma, but comfort is higher. With Orma, we were in a minimalist trip because they were prototypes. Then cap with a large, real bunks, life aboard six is not bad.

Do you have fun on this tour?
steps to play little and crews are the best trained regularly before. Tactically, it's very nice. But the size of the race is far from what Volvo. Unfortunately, there is no truly international crew, except on Oman. There are no Australians, New Zealanders or Americans. It lacks. We found a bit like Port la Forêt ...

Did you try the circuit in your negotiations with Groupama and where are you overall with your partner?
Groupama is considering the following. We made ​​suggestions on what we wanted to do. But I will not talk about it. The ball is in their court. What is certain is that we had gone to two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race and that everything is in place to do so until the monotype happens. For the moment, we work and we try to be as efficient as possible to this date there. All the activities I can do around can stay at as crew. Ditto for my team, the engineering, the goal is to remain at the highest level in technical terms until we left on a big project that is currently in our minds, the Volvo Ocean Race. This year is a year of transition.

With Luna Rossa, what is your role?
Their AC72 (note: 72 feet catamarans compete in the America's Cup in 2013) should be launched soon and I'll be there in October in Auckland for the first navigation as an expert in big multihulls. There is a very good team and very good helmsmen small multihulls, they showed on the circuit of AC45. But on very large multi until now, few teams have sailed out of Oracle and Alinghi. Luna Rossa is the sistership of Team New Zealand that I attended the first training in Auckland this summer. For three years, the Kiwis have worked with great guys and seems reliable boat and go quickly.

Interview by Laurence Schreiner

 

Musandam-Oman Sail are leading the pack coming in towards Marseille and have managed to pull out an excellent margin with Race for Water in second and Foncia in third. It's been a tough race with frequent almost calm and unfavourable windward conditions. Musandam-Oman Sail have around 140nm to go.

From the Multi One Design European Tour website:

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/747/musandam-oman-sail-moving-on-up-ready-for-the-double.html

Musandam-Oman Sail moving on up, ready for the double?

Considering how they downplayed their victory in the Cascais City Race series in Portugal last weekend, skipper Sidney Gavignet pointing out that they were more pleased by the level of sailing they had achieved and the progress made by the team, it is reasonable to assume that there will be little talk on board Musandam-Oman Sail yet of adding an offshore stage win to last weekend’s short courses victory.

It is looking better all the time for Gavignet’s international team lead the MOD70 European Tour fleet towards Marseille, where Leg 4 from Cascais should finish tomorrow, Monday, morning. Musandam-Oman Sail had a handy margin of 84.3 miles over second placed Race for Water with some 400 miles to go to the finish line on Sunday afternoon’s 1230hrs UTC report.

After a desperately complex and challenging night the three leading boats were spearheading the charge into the new, stronger breeze, making more than 20kts. Indeed the leader was making 22kts and FONCIA, in third place, some 25kts, on a direct angle towards Marseille.

And a testing finish is predicted as a frontal system brings up to 30kts and some rain into the northern Med, conditions which might require teams to modulate their pace.

Musandam-Oman Sail’s navigator Jeff Cuzon said as much in his lunchtime call to Race HQ in Marseille. “With 25 knots or more it will be a new challenge, not too extreme, we won’t hold back but just try and maintain the lead we have. We will just manage our margin.” He commented.

Given that the fleet was originally billed with an ETA of Sunday, it is not a surprise that the – given the slow progress in light winds since the start, the course has been shortened. Instead of turning west at the Porquerolles off Hyeres, the fleet will come direct to a mark of Casssis, just to the east of Marseille rounding into the bay from the east.

In the duel for the overall MOD70 European Tour leadership, Michel Desjoyeaux’s FONCIA – which was on top of the leaderboard when the fleet left Portugal – is in excellent shape to increase their points margin on Yann Guichard’s Spindrift racing.

FONCIA’s navigator Charles Caudrelier, dicing head-to-head with his former skipper Franck Cammas, both of the Volvo Ocean Race winning line up, pledged today to do all they could to steal second off Race for Water on which Cammas is navigator for Stève Ravussin. Second would extend the points margin for FONCIA, but bragging rights alone on a stage which has been the biggest test yet for navigators, would be sweet.

But of course biggest bragging rights, leading into the only French stop of the MOD 70 European Tour, would only widen the smiles of Musandam-Oman Sail’s French trio Gavignet, Cuzon and Thomas Le Breton still more!

Winning into Marseille would have a special meaning for Gavignet who trained here some 25 years ago as a sports student and recalls seeing the big Multis of the day arriving in the bay when he sailed his Laser: “It would be something a bit special because when I was sixteen, seventeen, eighteen I was there with the sports institute, the school of sailing, and the harbour, the marina, that we are staying in is the same one I was training at more than 25 years ago. So it is quite nice. If you look at my career, if you can call it that, to come back with such a nice Formula 1 yacht, with an Omani team. I am lucky. I can be happy”

FONCIA were 14 miles shy of their rivals whilst Spindrift racing and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild were just over a mile apart and racing in visual contact.

The leader is expected to break the finish line around breakfast time tomorrow, follow the tracking live on www.mod70-europeantour.com.

 

Mod Squad, at present rate Oman should be there within 5 hours! Must be more wind than shows on tracker as they are all over 25 kts and there are no wing sails? What a ride they must be! Cheers all.

 

Musandam/Oman Sail are stretching their lead now only 75nm to go till they finish. Edmond de Rothschild and Spindrift look like they are having their own personal match race battle at the back of the field.

I agree the wind representations dont seem to be particularly accurate and dont always reflect whats actually happening on the water. If you watch the race on the player you can see where Spindrift and Edmond de Rothschild lost the initiative they headed North sooner than the rest of the fleet after the straits of Gibraltar and were becalmed for some time. Must have been frustrating for the MOD crews round that area with the wind dead on the nose and very light.

 

Musandam-Oman Sail are finished (they won by a good margin) the battle for second is still on between Foncia and Race for Water. It looks like Foncia is in ghost mode because their track doesn't look right so hard to know who is actually in second.

 

Musandam Oman-Oman Sail won the leg and have moved into third place on pointscore behind Spindrift. Foncia is still leading the overall points tally and have extended their lead with the third place in this leg. All of the MOD70's have now finished.

From the Multi One Design European Website:

FONCIA strengthen their leadership, Marseille shaping up to be vital


With all five of the MOD70 fleet safely finished into Marseille after the most mentally demanding stage of the MOD70 European Tour yet, Leg 4 from Cascais to Marseille, skippers and crew were keen to immediately catch up on their rest required.


After Race for Water and FONCIA finished second and third, Spindrift racing finished fourth and Groupe Edmond de Rothshcild ffith on Leg 4

The stage from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean proved the longest yet in terms of duration, with long periods becalmed, or close to it, especially for the later arrivals.
Third placed skipper Michel Desjoyeaux quipped this morning that in last night’s blustery 30-35kt winds FONCIA made more distance in twelve hours than they did in the previous two days.

In terms of the overall standings for the MOD70 European Tour, with 79% of the maximum available points now allocated, FONCIA saw their lead over Spindrift racing increase by a net two points to 8pts.

The combined effect of winning the Cascais City Race series and then Leg 4 into Marseille this morning sees Musandam-Oman Sail up to third place overall – tied on points with Stève Ravussin’s Race for Water.

Conversely two offshore fifth places in a row for Groupe Edmond de Rothschild finds Sébastien Josse’s team now down to fifth on the leaderboard seven points off third.

Spindrift racing’s skipper Yann Guichard will have his ribs checked this afternoon after hurting them during last night. Success in the Marseille City Race series Friday and Saturday is essential to Spindrift racing. Guichard concluded:

“The goal here is to get back to within four points of Foncia here, then whoever wins the last leg, to Genoa, wins the MOD70 European Tour.”

 

From the European Tour website:

http://www.mod70-europeantour.com/en/news/news/802/suspense-to-the-finish-spindrift-racing-win-marseille-city-race.html

Suspense to the finish, Spindrift racing win Marseille City Race

In winning the Marseille City Race, Yann Guichard’s Spindrift racing did all that they possibly could, over five races on the bay off Marseille, to improve their chance of overhauling overall leaders FONCIA to win the MOD70 European Tour, but with Michel Desjoyeaux’s crew finishing in second the overall difference between the two title chasers is cut only by one point.

When Sunday’s final offshore starts, the 651 miles Leg 5 from Marseille to Genoa, the difference between the two title protagonists will be seven points in favour of FONCIA. But with the same kind of variable, unpredictable weather which has marked the Marseille City Race series due to prevail for much of the final passage, anything could happen.

Races 4 and 5 were finally contested after a long delay awaiting a settled breeze to arrive and a massive rain storm of monsoon proportions to clear. But the wait was mostly worth it as the skies cleared to offer one good race with fast sailing across the top reach parallel to the Frioul island, and a second contest which saw an interesting reshuffle at the first turning mark when the breeze died and shifted.

The first race was FONCIA’s from the moment they cleared the start line first, with speed and Spindrift racing were across the line early. But despite restarting and tracking fifth early in the two laps triangle course Guichard’s crew – with Olympic bronze medallist Nicholas Charbonnier calling tactics – rescued a useful third place.

The second race shaped up to be potentially the most exciting of the Marseille regatta as Spindrift and FONICA came off the start line from opposite ends at pace. FONCIA, low from the pin end picked up more speed but could not quite close down their rivals. Spindrift racing lead around the first turn while FONCIA sailed on a little distance, closed out by Musandam-Oman Sail to windward. Remarkably only Spindrift racing and Sidney Gavignet’s crew were the only two to emerge from this buoy smoothly. FONCIA stalled. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild emerged but had to take penalty turns. Race for Water reversed back out of the melee and ultimately retired to cap a disappointing day for Stève Ravussin’s crew which had been looking to close out their first City Race win.

So Spindrift racing earn a point against FONCIA and become the only team to have won two City Race series, adding to their victory in Dun Laoghaire, but importantly skipper Guichard was pleased to feel they have seized the initiative for the final leg

He said:
“Today was especially good for us. It is the last City Race of the season and the team work on board was really good. We are only seven points behind FONCIA for the final leg. Leg 5 there are 16 points available and anything can happen. We’d prefer to be closer than further back but that’s the way it is.”

Third overall in the Marseille City Race for Sidney Gavignet’s Musandam-Oman Sail is their third podium finish from the last four events and keeps them in third overall on the MOD70 European Tour standings. Gavignet’s team sailed confidently and smoothly and took their opportunities when they could, to finish second twice today.

Yann Guichard, skipper of Spindrift racing: "Winning here is good for morale. I am happy to win the last season City Race. It is just one point off FONCIA’s lead, but it is positive. We are just 7 points behind on the overall scoreboard. Now, we must look ahead. There are three points to earn on the small coastal course, which will be crucial on the overall results. I'm happy because we sailed well today and yesterday, we kept our cool on board. We have had a few crew changes and have also made more progress in the City Races. In Marseille we had Nicolas Charbonnier and Fred Brousse on board. They brought us en extra level on both pure strength and tactics.

Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper FONCIA: "We are second behind Spindrift racing here which is not too bad since starting here was quite tough and then today, really complicated, but we were able to win a race today. Tonight, we have a 7 points lead on Spindrift. A lot can be won or lost between the bonus points after the initial inshore part of the race tomorrow and the finish in Genoa. Right now, whatever happens, we can do no worse than second place. This is the result of three weeks of hard work from the crew. We are able to push right up to the end and that is what we aim to do. At the end of the day it is the sport that will decide…

Sidney Gavignet, Musandam-Oman Sail: “It is cool to get third, we had not such a good day yesterday. Between a good start and a bad start is nothing. And after all that we are on the podium again, nothing is changed for the last leg, we are ahead of the guys who are fighting with us for the overall and we still have to do good on the final leg.

It would be nice if we could score some points on the little prologue leg. We are the only boat in the fleet who have not done that so far. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild who are behind us have scored seven points on these little loops, so if we can even do something on these little loops then it would be helpful.”