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Sunday 20 November 2005 16:47:25
Banque Populare ORMA 60 Multihull Winners!
Gitana 11 &Géant ETAs from 2145 GMT
Banque Populaire (the old Bayer Crop-Science launched in 2002) skippered by Pascal Bidegorry and Lionel Lemonchois crossed the finish line to take victory in the ORMA Multihull 60 class at 1246 local time (15:46:29 GMT) after 14 days, 1 hour, 46 minutes and 29 seconds racing at sea at an average boat speed on the direct route of 15.37 knots (actual distance covered was 5,940m at 17.59 knots average boat speed on the water). Read on for more info on this beautiful performance... quotes from the press conference to follow later. IMOCA &Class 2 Monohull update included.


Ma quale assemblea e assemblea!
vista la necessità di chiudere, una buona volta, delle questioni che, a dir di tutti i presenti, si sono trascinate decisamente più del necessario.


Facciamo un passo in dietro per spiegare il necessario a chi ne fosse allo scuro.



confermato per acclamazione ad altri due anni di Segreteria, ed al quale facciamo i complimenti e l’imboccaallupo, visto l’impegno che lo attende, ed al quale ribadiamo l’apprezzamento per le parole spese tanto nella Relazione Morale, quanto nel “discorso di insediamento”, apprezzamento condiviso da tutti i presenti.
A questo punto sarebbe doveroso spendere qualche parola sul lauto pasto, ma tra le lasagne da urlo ed i sotterfugi per accaparsi le crescentine calde e gli annessi ripieni, é impossibile non citare i fichi caramellati, la mostarda di pera (tale almeno é stata identificata per votazione.. eravamo nel trip votatorio!), la messe di insaccati e lo squaqquerone vero (ci saranno tutte ‘ste “qu”? ma chissenefrega! é assolutamente cacofonico quindi va bene!!) e soprattutto é assolutamente non possibile non menzionare il dessert: il consueto delirio papillogustativo a base di panna, mascarpone e non si sa cos’altro perché le papille vanno rapidamente in palla ed é impossibile qualsivoglia identificazione sensiente, per rendere l’idea potrebbe giovare pensare ad un tiramisù-chantilly-3forchette, rielaborato Abarth,
e finalmente, va detto, un bel calendario, considerato tale unanimamente, aspetto questo tutt’altro che trascurabile.





So what happened? We were reaching along in 30-40, wind angle 140 staysail, reacher jib and mainsail, boatspeed average around 23-24 knots. Smoking fast, heaps of water on and over the deck and a bit uncomfy downstairs, and we were happy how we were going We just had received a position report, and saw that all the others ere nicely tucked behind us. Ericsson nearly 30 miles, ouch that must have been hurting them. We have been sailing pretty loose to the ABN, so happy we could hang on with them, as we expected them to have a big edge.
Suddenly we leaped of a big wave, and we could hear the a loud bang, different opinions, some thought it came from the back , some from the middle of the bus. Two teams checking simultaneous, and very quick the yell came fro the front: SLOW DOWN, WE HAVE CRACKED ONE OF THE RAM SHELVES. F*#K, my instant thought, we are out of this leg. First we dropped the main, and secured that on the boom, still doing around 18 knots, so took the reacher down as well, and hoisted a stormjib to keep the boat stable in case we would lose the rams completely
Further inspection learned that the main bulkhead had buckled as well, not a nice view. Made some quick phone calls & informed the other Farr boats through race headquarters what had happened. About 10 minutes later we heard that the Pirates had problems as well, but apparently not so bad, as it seems that their keel wedges have fallen off. A relative easy fix, assume they have spares sitting in the container.
So for us: we are looking in all kind of options to get the boat in Capetown, and of course how we can fix this properly. The last has to get done by our designers. There will be plenty of scratching on their heads going on and their computer models will be running red-hot. Boys, bring grinders & gloves, because there will be plenty of carbon dust flying around, this is not just a tickle job, this is major.
So we are stopping in Porti Moa, a holiday resort on the south tip of Portugal. We were always planning to do a yacht race, and to stay away from the beach as far as passable, but how quickly things can change. Now we will enter another race: the one again start the clock.
Better wish us luck.
Cheers,
A very grumpy Bouwe Bekking



ad Ozzano si enucleava l’elenco delle flotte votanti.
Nell'immagine qui sopra il punto della scuffia!
photo courtesy of www.soldini.it
txt courtesy of www.jacques-vabre.com
Monday 14 November 2005 10:14:27
TIM Progetto Italia capsizes after autopilot failure
0900 GMT Positions: Fleet Update
Whilst navigating through the Doldrums in manageable but variable conditions, Italian team Giovanni Soldini and Vittorio Malingri capsized on the ORMA trimaran TIM Progetto Italia 400m South West of Dakar (Senegal) at approximately 0515 GMT this morning. The boat was sailing at average speeds and Giovanni had switched to autopilot for the time it would take him to trim the sails.