Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy - Day 1

The 38 solo sailors for the Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy set off at 3pm this Thursday with a light breeze and blazing sun. Wonderful! Beyond the fine weather, these 220 nautical miles that count towards the 'Championnat de France Promotion' solo offshore sailing race look set to be deliciously tactical: a veritable gift for all the competitors in this anniversary edition of the Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy.

Onlookers are gazing enviously at the solo sailors heading out to compete in this year's Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy!

The summery yet highly tactical conditions that lie in store over the next 48 hours should effectively allow the competitors to focus with relish on their complex strategies. Of course, the basic safety rules for offshore racing will still be enforced - particularly given that it's a solo event - but with expected winds of between 5 and 20 knots at most, a calm sea and good visibility, they can set off peacefully and have fun devising their tactical plans.

Thermal versus Synoptic

To keep things simple, the competitors will have to compromise between two regimes: the thermal – the offshore breeze that begins in the afternoons near the coasts – and the synoptic – an onshore breeze that blows during the night and in the morning.

At each transition, the strategists will have to anticipate their position with regard to the rest of the fleet, as well as the swing to come.

Easier said than done, especially as nothing is more unpredictable than these famous transitions from one breeze to the other.

In effect, this juggling of offshore and onshore winds inevitably brings a real wrestling match, whose outcome is far from certain. The weather forecasts will therefore need to be complemented by close observations of the clouds and the atmospheric pressure before making any tactical choices.

A close-contact sprint

On this 36- to 48-hour sprint, the fleet will have no time to really spread out. The race is going to be a close-contact affair. Each competitor will therefore have to take into account the trajectories of all his or her closest rivals. In other words, this tenth edition of the Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy will be intense and any relaxation will just have to wait.

In the prototypes, we're expecting a sun-drenched duel between the Magnum (Giancarlo Pedote's 'Prysmian') and the Maximum (Davy Beaudart's 'Cultisol'): the weather conditions are ideal for this match-race between two David Raison designs.

There's another new hull to watch out for, that of Ian Lipinski (Entreprises Innovantes), back on the circuit with a Bertrand design that's also a fair size, but equipped with marked bilges. Then there are all the others, of course, notably Stan Maslard (Groupe Sefico – Sea Safe) aboard the prototype of friend Paul Marette, the 265.

In the production boats, some serious battles are on the cards between the heads of the circuit, notably Damien Cloarec (www.damien-cloarec.fr), Tanguy le Turquais (Terreal), Jonas Gerckens (Netwerk), Jean-Marie Oger (Acebi)...

Follow the race live on: www.winchesclub.com/minis650/map/FR-126.htm

Soundbites from the pontoon

Ian Lipinski (Entreprises Innovantes – Proto 866): "Being on the starting line-up is a victory in itself! Work started a month ago, and the boat came out of its mould just 18 days ago... I was lucky enough to have a fantastic synergy between the working crew, the architect and a group of friends. It's been incredibly intense and, thanks to them, I'm here. My aim is therefore just to get around the course so I can qualify for Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables."

Damien Audrain (EPC- Rêves de Clown – Proto 754): "We'll have to get the suncream on! It's like holiday weather but it'll be no holiday as far as strategy is concerned. We'll have to be on the ball for the transitions and sleep as little as possible. You can prepare for the transition phases on land but then you constantly have to adapt. We should have a bit of wind throughout so it's going to be intense. My aim is to qualify."

Davy Beaudart (Cultisol – Proto 865): "These are perfect conditions for testing my boat. I've been able to train a bit since getting on the water and it's been nothing but a joy. It's more tolerant, more pleasant than a classic hull. There's still a lot to learn but for me, these are clearly the hulls of the future – in the Mini at any rate."

Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian – Proto 747): "It's going to be a complicated course with lots of choices to make. There will be plenty of passages we'll need to negotiate well. The weather bulletins don't match up, we'll have to watch the clouds... And the Battle of the Davys is also going to be interesting, of course!"

Tanguy Le Turquais (Terreal – Série 835), winner of the first two races of the season: "It's great weather for holidays on the water! Plus, there's going to be a full moon, so we'll have magnificent nights; it's going to be very interesting indeed! Weather observation is going to be of prime importance and everything will come down to how you're positioned in relation to the other competitors. These are my favourite weather conditions: you don't get tired physically but you certainly get worn out mentally! My goal is to get my own back for the 'Mini en Mai' (the race that Tanguy had to abandon for health reasons) and for the 2013 edition where I was overtaken at the very end of the course after a race where three of us were leading, but above all, not to be disappointed, performance is a pleasure, so pleasure has to come first! But I think I'd suit a podium!"

Jonas Gerckens (Netwerk – Série 821): "The weather? It's holiday time! There'll be plenty of tactical games and plenty of games between the competitors. The season is already well underway; everyone's prepared and on the ball: it's going to be very interesting. I'd like to finish in the top five... even on the podium!"

Carl Chipotel (Guadeloupe Projet – Série 566): "It's my first Mini season. It does you good to have such sunny weather conditions, it reminds me of my homeland (ha ha)! It puts less pressure on me, allows me to continue to discover the boat and to do so on a race that I don't know. But it's still a race, everyone's speeding away! My goal is to prepare for the Mini Transat 2015, which will take me back home. And for that, the top half of the board would do me nicely!"