Spi Ouest ETF26 😮 discovery of the capsize with 5nds of wind.
It was the last 3 days of racing of the ETF Series 2021 which took place during the Spi Ouest-France – Banque Populaire Grand Ouest! With Yvan Bourgnon and Hubert Savatier 💪
Squalls, seaweed, another capsize and 15 knots of wind with departures at more than 30 knots… We have seen all the colors 🌈
From the point of view of the ranking unfortunately it is still not that, we are still 6th on 6. But we hope that it will be the last time 😡 especially that we were at home in the Bay of Quiberon! But with hindsight how good it is to learn surrounded by the best like that! Each place must be deserved and it’s hyper gratifying to be in the mix and, for example, to be 3rd in a race. Where with the NacraF20 and Yvan Bourgnon, 3rd would be a bad position. It’s a good balance.
We missed two races stupidly because of the seaweed 🎋 The first one, 5 knots of wind and we still managed to capsize. When there is no wind on this boat, we try to raise the hull so we are sometimes the 3 downwind. The conditions are not alarming as far as the wind is concerned, so we are well installed. Except that a big heap of seaweeds appeared. If this pile of seaweed gets into our rudders, it’s like going through mud! It is absolutely necessary to avoid it. We loft to avoid it, but at the same time, a gust of wind comes. Being concentrated on these seaweeds and my code 0, I make the mistake not to see it and not to announce it to my helmsman. Seeing the boat leaning more than usual, I go upwind as fast as I can and shock the Code 0 sheet but at the same time, Yvan who stayed downwind, hanging on to the Code 0 sheet not to fall into the water, shouted at me not to shock! 😂 Obeying the voice of wisdom, I didn’t shock, even if I admit I didn’t fully understand this very contradictory order compared to the urgent situation, until it was too late. A capsize in slow motion! And I still put my dad in the water. 🤷
Another time, the next day, just before the departure, we take a huge pile of seaweed without knowing it, so we take a slow start without really understanding why we are the only ones not flying… We believe then in a water way and give up the sleeve to verify… No water… It is only later Laurent Simon, representative of the ETF26 class, who will come to tell us that we had algae in the appendices before the departure. We will look more next time.
We also remember that we took great starts, if there was a ranking at the mark, we will play for the title ahah 🚀
We’re back on the 2022 ETF26 circuit next year with, again, the Spi Ouest-France – Banque Populaire Grand Ouest in La Trinité sur Mer! Which will surely be the first regatta of the 2022 season!
Many thanks to Antoine Iché aka Patricia for your help!
And to all the friends who helped us to assemble, disassemble the boat and to assist us on the water. Of course without you, none of this!
📸 Thomas Deregnieaux Photography
