After a very light and changing wind at the beginning of the race, the elements were well organized yesterday, Sunday, for the third and last day of the Raid Quiberon, offering ideal conditions to fly the eight ETF26. During the race weekend, the new Danish crew was able to test itself against a dense and competitive fleet, new sailors discovered the support and Team PRO managed to keep its first place in the Championship. A look back at the three days of competition.
During the three days of competition in Quiberon, the ETF26 teams had to show their adaptability in the face of changing weather conditions from day to day, but also from hour to hour. Indeed, after a slow first day, the second day put the sailors' nerves to the test. The Raid around the island of Houat started in very light and "shifty" winds, then the foiling catamarans were able, after three hours of racing, to find the flying sensations they all love so much. "It was very complex racing, especially when there are such good crews around!" said TOROA Racing Team member Mark Rikjse.
On Sunday, everything was in place for an intense day of racing. The first race was launched at 9.40 am in a 12 knot wind and the races went on at high speed. The suspense was at its height on each of the races and this until the last seconds of the race when the Team PRO passed Live Ocean Racing just on the finish line, thus signing a magnificent first place.
New sailors in the adventure
The Raid Quiberon welcomed a new crew to the ETF SERIES Championship. The Danish team ROCKWOOL from SailGP has entered ETF26 with ROCK the Boat, a new mixed team aiming to develop the best Olympic sailors in the country. Katja Salskov-Iversen, Anne-Marie Rindom, Christian Peter Lübeck and Sebastian Wright-Olsen have between them six Olympic appearances and three medals! They were able to discover the sensations offered by the 26-foot hydrofoil catamaran. "We are very happy to be part of the ETF SERIES now," says Katja Salskov-Iversen. "We had a really good time this weekend. The start on the boat was a bit difficult as we didn't know the boat yet, but after a few hours of practice we managed to find the keys to make it work and thus play with the other boats. We hope to be able to train before the next event so we can be really competitive."
Franck Cammas was also helmsman on the event, aboard Entreprises du Morbihan alongside Matthieu Salomon and Valentin Bellet. "I was well served because I had a crew that knew the boat perfectly, so it was immediately easier to find the helm," said Franck Cammas, who was thus able to gauge the level of the ETF26 fleet. "There was a good level on the water and so the rankings varied a lot as the races went on. It's great to have a homogeneous fleet with a high level of competition. There are some great people on board the boats, including many international sailors who are on the Olympic circuit in NACRA or 49er. It's good that they are here because it's a reference to have them around us."
Rendezvous at Lake Garda
The FOILING WEEK will be the fourth event on the ETF SERIES calendar. The ETF26 will meet on Lake Garda, in Italy, from June 30 to July 3!
Following the ranking of the Raid Quiberon, Team PRO keeps its first place in the overall Championship ranking. Youth Foiling Team is second, followed closely by TOROA Racing Team and ETF11 Entreprises du Morbihan, both tied.
RAID QUIBERON RANKING
1 - Team PRO 16 pts
2 - Entreprises du Morbihan - 28 pts
3- Youth Foiling Team - 31 pts
4 - Toroa Racing Team - 33 pts
5 - Live Ocean Racing - 43pts
6 - #TEAMBOURGNON - 58 pts
7 - Lady Team PRO - 61 pts
9- Rock the Boat - 75 pts