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	05/22/2001	[Print] [Close]

Reference: www.challenge-mondialassistance.com/uk/accueil_uk.htm

Challenge Mondial Assistance (ORMA) - 12 May 2001 to 20 May 2001
The winner is Foncia-Kingfisher of Alain Gautier (the boat that Ellen MacArthur is on) at 15 min 44 sec into Wednesday, May 23rd.
This is a maxi-trimaran race which seems to have very high profile. Check out some of the participants. The Mondial Assistance Challenge is a new event of 3000 nautical miles in length - the equivalent of an Atlantic crossing.
Start is in Cherbourg, France, with the finish line at Tarragona, Spain. The 60 foot maxi-tris are expected to arrive Wednesday, May 23rd.
Cherbourg, France is in the Basse-Normandie region, in northwestern France. It lies along the English Channel, west-northwest of Paris, and is situated at the mouth of the small Divette River on the north shore of the Cotentin peninsula. The steep Roule Mountain nearby offers a panoramic view of the town. The port benefits from a remarkable harbour, well-sheltered except to the north, and is situated close to the great maritime routes that ply the English Channel.
Tarragona, Spain is on the Mediterranean Sea and in the northeast of the Iberian peninsula. Tarragona is a Spanish city which forms part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. A city with 2000 years of history, its origins have been fixed in the era of the arrival of the Romans to the peninsula in the year 218 BC. The necessity of an easily protected harbour was the motive for the Romans establishing themselves in Tarragona. They constructed a walled city which would come to be the capital of "Hispania Citerior," a Roman province which covered more than half of the Iberian peninsula.
The course consists of a difficult exit from the English Channel and passage around the Azores, through the Straits of Gibraltar then to the finish in Terragona, Spain.
The French Navy has partnered with the event, using their resources to monitor the participants. This enables the public to follow the race live as if they were taking part thanks to journalists on board a frigate.
The event chair is: Gérard Petipas, President of Pen Duick S.A.
** Photos of ORMA
Participants of note:
Competitor : Loick PEYRON on FUJIFILM
Crew : Thierry Brault, Bernard Pointet, Xavier Dagaud, Jean-Baptiste Levaillant, Fred Le Petrec, Jean-Philippe Saliou.
Competitor : Alain GAUTIER on FONCIA
Crew : Ellen MacArthur, Ewen Le Clech, Loïk Gallon et Philippe Péché.
Competitor : Lalou ROUCAYROL on BANQUE POPULAIRE
Crew : Daniel Souben, Loïc Le Mignon, Franck Citeau, Mayeul Riffet, Julien Cressant, Christophe Gouineau.
Highlighted names in blue are from "The Race".
The highlighted name in red is british sailor Ellen MacArthur, who did so well in the solo around the world race, on Kingfisher.
Current positions as of 05/23/2001, 4 AM

RANK BOAT Latitude Longitude Speed Heading Dist.arrival Dist leader

1 Belgacom 40 56.32' N 1 07.32' E 6.2 39 11.8 0.0

2 Foncia 40 55.00' N 1 07.92' E 7.3 38 12.8 0.9

3 Groupama 40 46.04' N 1 19.72' E 5.2 316 20.6 8.8

4 Bayer 40 36.56' N 1 42.20' E 4.8 20 36.0 24.2

5 Gitana IX 37 55.40' N 0 01.90' W 6.8 43 200.2 188.4

DNF Bonduelle

DNF Biscuits La Trinitaine - Team Ethypharm

DNF Banque Populaire

Tuesday 05/22/2001 4:28:26 PM - Ellen MacArthur
"It is intensive. We’re neck to neck with Belgacom and we’re about to gibe. The night has been great. We were as close to the land as the others. Therefore, we had more wind offshore and managed to close the gap. We had to drop the gennaker for 1hour and a half to fix it but now we’re back sailing at 100%. We’re near a land’s head and therefore have some good wind. We’ll look at the forecast in order to see if there is any strategical choice to make. But our aim for the rest of the race is not to take to leave the other boats".

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