The fleet of the Tour de France à la Voile raced in typical Mediterranean conditions off Sète yesterday. It was a hot and sunny day with a shifty light breeze of 6-8 knots.

Cassis Maugio Carnon, skippered by Bernard Mallaret with Italy’s Vasco Vascotto doing tactics, snatched victory in the first windward/leeward race. The first race started at 1333. Once again the crews were like horses in their starting boxes and there was a general recall. The gun fired again at 1342 to see the 40 Mumm 30s sailing off with a good start. As there was more pressure to the left, the boats that started at the pin end got quickly into the lead.

Cassis Maugio Carnon rounded the top mark in first and maintained her lead all through the race. She crossed the finish line ahead of Etienne David’s Ville de Genève Carrefour Prévention and Jimmy Pahun’s Région Ile de France. “We had a good race. We wanted to favour the left and therefore wanted a good start at the pin end. We managed to do it and it paid. The crew sailed very well and we seem to have had good speed in light air,” commented happy Vasco Vascotto after the first race. The Italian Mumm 30’s world champion insisted again on his pleasure to sail in the Tour de France à la Voile: “It’s the best one-design event and I really hope to be able to come with an Italian team next year.” Marseille, skippered by former 49er sailor Dimitri Deruelle, was the second winner of the day. She crossed the finish line in first after having led the whole race.

Ville de Genève Carrefour Prévention retains the red spinnaker. But the gap is closing up within the top three overall with Région Ile de France having had a good day. She came twice in third position. Their best results in inshore races so far.

The Mediterranean boats have again shown force on this second day of racing in the Med with four of them finishing in the top ten in both races.

The amateur British boat Royal Thames skippered by Owen Modral had a much better race than the previous day. She came home in 12th position in the first race and in 13th in the second race.

Overall Results (after race 23, before jury, with one discard)

1. Ville de Genève Carrefour Prévention / Etienne David 1367.5 points

2. Nantes-St-Nazaire / Pierre Loic Berthet 1360.5 points

3. Région Ile de France / Jimmy Pahun 1333.5 points

4. Ville d1Antibes -NEC / Julien Farnarier 1231.5 points

5. Défi Partagé / Thierry Bouchard 1227.5 points

6. Dieppe-Seine Maritime / Gildas Philippe 1195.5 points

7. Panther Team GBR / Rob Greenhalgh 1190 points

8. Marseille / Dimitri Deruelle 1181 points

9. Côtes d’Armor Toztes Voiles dehors / Vincent Biarnes 1167 points

10. Force EDC / Simon Sutherland 1138 points

Student division

1. Force EDC / Simon Sutherland 746 points

2. Cap Université St-Quentin en Yvelines / Jean-Marie Gout 687 points

3. Estudines.fr -Port de Commerce La Rochelle / Yann Dube 621.5 points

Amateur Division

1. CSC Essec / Hervé Gautier 718.5 points

2. Dinard La Pachanga / Eric Basset 713.5 points

3. Royal Thames / Owen Modral 665.5 points