Samuel Manuard and Yannic Cano sailing their Manuard design took Mini Fastnet race victory at 7.30 this morning. Having rounded the Fastnet rock on Wednesday in third position, they powered up in the 15kt westerly breeze and sailed a superb race back to the Dournanez finish line, an hour ahead of Fred Duthil and François Lebourdais in second sailing All Mer.

For Manuard this result, added to his second place in the Odyssey of Ulysses and third in the Course de Lions in the Mediterranean earlier this year, puts him in a strong position for a good result in the Mini Transat which starts in September.

Armel Tripon and Erwan Leroux were possibly a couple of the unluckiest competitors in the race. Having led round the rock in their super-fast Moulin Roty they then suffered rig problems and were unable to defend their position.

British sailor Nick Bubb and his crewman John Parker sailing the new Seb Magnen-designed Kenmore Property Group/John Merricks Sailing Trust finished a creditable eighth place overall from the 80-strong fleet. At 24-year-old Bubb is is also the youngest skipper in the top 10. Having had a good start and maintaining third place, Bubb and Parker pulled out a 10-mile lead over the rest of the fleet with a group of five other yachts. However, all five got stuck in a wind hole while the rest of the fleet ploughed through. Nick commented this morning: “We were stuck in the middle of the transition zone for four hours as the new wind established itself from the south-west. We ended up too far north. The rest of the fleet had stayed further south and our lead over them vanished in an instant. They just sailed right round us! While we struggled upwind to the rock, they were close reaching in from all over the place. “After we rounded Fastnet (in 17th!) the wind was up to 25 knots from the west with most boats wiping out under full main and jib. We decided to go all out in a bid to regain some places. We put the fractional Code Zero up and took a reef in the main. It was more sail area, but the balance was better. We had some damage taking the reef though: the kite pole flicked back onto a stanchion punching a hole through the deck. Downstairs quickly turned into a swimming pool!”

Despite losing out after such a good start, Bubb is in an optimistic mood about the race adding: “I am chuffed with the result. All the top guys in the class were competing and without that hole in the breeze who knows. I am very pleased with how we dealt with the situation and with producing another consistent result in the top ten.” The next race for Minis is the Chrono 6.50 a solo race against the clock from Lorient-Groix-Lorient from 4-6 July.

Overall Results

1. 7h38 (433) Port Camargue Manuard – Cano

2. 8h35 (265) All Mer Duthil – Bourdais

3. 11h28 (260) Echo-Sea Mérigeau – Parnaudeau

4. 12h29 (304) Sojasun Duval – Sechet

5. 14h25 (348) Netcarrier Caldwel – Coutant

6. 15h00 (426) Pogo 2 Tymen – Taboré

7. 15h04 (339) Vector More Claquin – Vourch

8. 15h14 (419) KENMORE/JMST Bubb – Parker

9. 15h19 (312) ASNQ Doin – Pluart

10. 15h22 (347) Line of O Rolland – Lemasson