Mini Fastnet 2014 overall
by Catherine Ecarlat 30 Jun 2014 11:31 BST
21-28 June 2014
Damien Audrain and Pierre Brasseur make their mark in the Prototypes, Damien Cloarec and Yannick Le Clech win in the Production boats
They led this Mini Fastnet practically from beginning to end. At 5.06am on Friday morning, Damien Audrain and Pierre Brasseur (EPC – Rêves de Clown) made a name for themselves in the Prototypes after an almost faultless race. Following in their wake came Luke Berry and Pierre Denjean (Wild Side) against whom they were battling almost from the starting line. Jean-Baptiste Daramy and Pierre-François Dargniès (Chocolats Pariès – Sygespro) complete the podium.
Davy Beaudart and David Raison on 'Maximum' (Cultisol) fell victim to boat damage 24 hours before the finish, while they were fighting for first place.
In the Production boats, it was a race full of surprises on this return trip of 600 nautical miles between Douarnenez and the Irish rock. Damien Cloarec and his partner Yannick Le Clech (www.damin-cloarec.fr) won without contest at 8.56am. In their wake, two teams of newcomers: the Italians Fornaro/Fredella (Sideral) and the incongruous duo Machado/Pahun (Velasco II Du Léman à l'Océan.com).
At 5.06 on Friday morning, Damien Audrain and Pierre Brasseur (EPC – Rêves de Clown) crossed the finish line of the Mini Fastnet as the deserved winners! They had led the fleet since the passage at Land's End on the second day of the race. Their leadership had been tested at times by the 'Maximum' sailed by Davy Beaudart and David Raison (Cultisol). Victims of boat damage just 24 hours before the finish, they had to drop back, leaving the classic hulls to pick up the race in pole position.
Half an hour later, Luke Berry and Pierre Denjean (Wild Side) crossed the line in 2nd position. EPC-Rêves de Clown and Wild Side battled neck and neck throughout the four-and-a-half days of this race.
Jean-Baptiste Daramy and Pierre-François Dargniès (Chocolats Pariès – Sygespro) complete the Prototype podium after a marvellous run yesterday afternoon, in the breeze.
In the Production boats, experience won, while newcomers completed the podium
From the start, Damien Cloarec and his crewmate Yannick Le Clech (www.damin-cloarec.fr) quickly took the lead: good tactics and good speed. But, on the return trip from the Celtic Sea and a little after the Fastnet passage, pockets with no wind meant the fleet started to bunch together. Twice, the promising young duo of Quentin Vlamynck/Loïc Coudret (quentinvlamynck.com), took advantage of these flexible moments to temporarily snatch the lead.
The Italians Fornaro/Fredella, also newcomers, played a good tactical game, finishing 2nd - half an hour behind the leaders, and 6 minutes ahead of the duo Machado/Pahun, whose finish was handicapped by a sail not suited to the strength of the wind.
To sum up, whilst there's no doubt that the Carantec duo dominated in terms of technical and tactical skill, it's also clear that they were relieved to win!
The Mini Fastnet in colour and in 3D
All the competitors were able to appreciate the colours of the Irish coast in all their glory, which they had a (very) long time to watch gliding past before rounding the Fastnet lighthouse. Some of them even said that they could smell the sheep...
Just as impressive were the many sharks swimming in among the fleet of the Mini Fastnet! And, unfortunately, the rubbish discarded at sea, so easy to spot when the sea is calm...
In the end, everyone naturally appreciated saying hello (or hello again) to the legendary Fastnet: 'It was magical!' 'It's still quite something...'
The Winches Club and Douarnenez Bay look forward to seeing all the competitors again next year!
Quotes from the Prototypes
Damien Audrain, winner in the Prototypes along with Pierre Brasseur (EPC – Rêves de Clown): 'This was contact sailing throughout for us. It was a good fight with the 753 (Luke Berry and Pierre Denjean – Wild Side). We were always aware of them just behind us ready to attack, so we had to adjust constantly. We were often just that little bit faster...
'I'm learning about Prototypes, making progress with each race. I learnt a lot from Pierre. I was constantly asking him about adjustments and speed! Now I'll have to apply all that I've learned to my next races.'
And the lighthouse? 'That was magical.'
Pierre Brasseur (2nd in the Mini Transat 2011, looking for funding for a Figaro Bénéteau season): 'The most satisfying aspect was how we handled the strategy. We'd prepared our route well, and as we were never able to pick up a weather bulleting the entire time of the race, we worked from our road book, adjusting it according to the barometer and the cloud patterns. And it worked well. As for speed, I think we have a good boat for light winds, which helped.'
The true winner in the Production boats, Damien Cloarec, wins the Mini Fastnet with Yannick Le Clech (www.damien-cloarec.fr), racking up his fourth consecutive victory of the season, after two second places in his first two races of 2014.
Having qualified with some margin for the big race of the season, Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables, Damien is still looking for the budget needed to be on the starting line on 20th July in the Sables d'Olonne:
'It was long, but we were having a good time at sea... It's very satisfying because we managed our race well. In terms of strategy, everything was well thought-out, we sailed cleanly.
'Quentin and Loïc (Quentin Vlamynck et Loïc Coudret, ed.) worked really hard but they were held back by their boat. Overall, the standards are going up in Production boats...
'Looking back, this Mini Fastnet was great! I've got to grips with the boat, technically and strategically and in terms of overall knowledge, I think I've made good progress. I feel more confident...'
Focus on the new boats
Minor damage to all new boats, but they still perform well
Davy Beaudart, 6th in the Prototypes with David Raison (Cultisol): 'In a trawling area, the supporting chainplate got broken. It compromised the race but didn't stop us qualifying. We made the most of having two skippers to get the best from the boat. That's what these qualifying races are for! It's a youthful weakness that we'll repair and sort out as soon as possible. At sea, we did a temporary repair to guarantee qualification.
'I should have just enough time to get my boat back up to scratch ready for the start of Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables. On the other hand, there's a risk that I won't have much time left to train.
'In any case, these 4 days at sea with David have been very worthwhile. He taught me loads of tips and tricks for adjustments that I'd never have imagined.'
David Raison, architect of the 'Maximum': 'Apart from the damage, I was able to discover the full potential of the boat, and frankly, I'm impressed!'
Ian Lipinski and Charlie Pinot (Entreprises Innovantes) on their brand new 'Ofcet 650' had the same problem as the 'Maximum'. This is another boat that has just gone on the water, so it's still in its breaking-in period.
These two partners also managed, however, to repair at sea and finished the race in 9th position at the heart of the Prototype fleet. That said, within the Production boats, they were second – a fine performance.
Provisional Overall Results: (top ten)
Prototypes
1st 754, EPC-REVE DE CLOWN at 05:09 in 4 days 12:50:30
2nd 753, WILD SIDE at 05:38 in 4 j 13:19:59
3rd 814, CHOCOLAT PARIES SYGESPRO at 06:12 in 4 days 13:53:35
4th 630, LENGER.FR at 06:31 in 4 days 14:12:33
5th 667, MICROVITAE at 06:56 in 4 days 14:37:13
6th 865, CULTISOL at 06:58 in 4 days 14:39:02
7th 679, SURFRIDER FOUNDATION EU at 07:42 in 4 days 15:23:42
8th 719, A2J COMPOSITES at 08:50 in 4 days 16:31:27
9th 866, ENTREPRISES INNOVANTES at 09:15 in 4 j 16:56:33
10th 491, MARCEL FOR EVER at 09:42 in 4 days 17:23:40
Production Boats
1st 833, WWW.DAMIENCLOAREC.FR at 08:56 in 4 days 16:37:09
2nd 857, SIDERAL at 09:27 in 4 days 17:08:43
3rd 832, VELASCOII DULEMANALOCEAN.COM at 09:37 in 4 days 17:18:30
4th 586, SEAOWL-STUDIO ANDRE at 10:26 in 4 days 18:07:38
5th 745, LEONOR at 10:56 in 4 days 18:37:50
6th 746, COLIBRI LES CHEVAUX DU BEAL at 11:12 in 4 days 18:53:20
7th 728, QUENTINVLAMYNCK.FR at 11:28 in 4 days 19:09:00
8th 514, OUI AU GRIPEN! at 11:38 in 4 days 19:19:20
9th 566, GUADELOUPE PROJET at 11:47 in 4 days 19:28:30
10th 599, MERCATOR OCEAN at 12:26 in 4 days 20:07:45
www.winchesclub.com/minis650/fastnet650