PR Longtze Premier 15 May 09
Longtze European Tour : 2nd!
Longtze Premiers guests of honor for the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale
21-24 at Lanvéoc, Finistère
The second regatta in the Longtze Premier dedicated European circuit, is nothing less than the largest European assembly of sportboats and one designs: The Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale. Strong ties unite the Longtze Premier class in this regatta: Longtze Premier was present to make its competition debut in Europe in the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale 2008. It has been just one year… And in 2009, the Longtze Premier returns in force with a European fleet of 12 teams.
“We made a bit of a bet last year in welcoming the Longtze Premiers to the Grand Prix de l'Ecole Navale", explained Alain Daoulas, head organizer of the regatta. “The boats had just arrived in France. Together with the Longtze Premier team, we worked a great deal so that they would all be ready in time. It wasn’t entirely easy but it turned out to be a wonderful success!
We had been immediately seduced by the boat because it fits perfectly into the image of the Grand Prix. On the water they are superb to watch...and today, I am very content to have contributed to the development of this series. The Longtze Premier return this year with a sizable fleet. There will be some 12 boats, which is a handsome reward for us and this regatta."
12 well prepared teams
The Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale is the Longtze Premier second regatta of the European Tour. The sailing level of the crews involved with this European circuit, already elevated and on equal terms at the beginning of the season, must logically take another step upwards.
Certain teams have set aside the time to well prepare for this meeting in Brittany. Others, like Nicolas Bérenger (Kone Maxispace) actual leader in the overall scoring, or Erwan Tabarly, skipper of Athema, have changed their crews.
“Half of the team has been changed” explained Nicolas Bérenger, “the game will be a bit closer than in Monaco, where it was already close and intense!”
"The whole crew has been changed", explained, the Athema skipper. "I especially wanted to race with match race specialists Vincent Biarnes and Gilles Favennec continued Erwan Tabarly, who just recently finished 2nd in the BPE Transat on a Bénéteau Figaro.
The two Swiss teams involved in the circuit, the “pioneers” of Longtze Premier, are impatient to start the regatta: “we are very motivated to be at the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale. None of us have sailed in the Brest bay, and we look forward to it with high anticipation. Our objective is to get onto the winners podium along with the Kone and Lufthansa teams! We lack a certain amount of training in windy conditions but we are very confident, we have good boat speed", further explaining Eckhard Kaller, Broker Line 3 Skipper.
Longtze European Tour: A True challenge for the Ecole Navale
Guillaume Florent (Bronze medal winner in the Peking Olympic Games), Luc Gellusseau (one of the original LP designers and America's Cup specialists,) the “young team” of Arthur Levaillant will be again on the start line… but the “stars” in this regatta without any doubt are the young contestants from the "Ecole Navale" led by Ariane Provost and Stéphane Christidis.
“To take on a crew involved in an European Circuit at this level which the Longtze Premier represents, is a formidable challenge for us. We had to give a perspective to this level: it is Stéphane Christidis (ex member of the 470 and 49er teams) which is in charge of training them. The result is extremely positive: sportswise, on human terms, and in terms of training, there are profound and constructive interactions within the sailing group”.
The students of the Ecole Navale have even pushed the exercise to the point of designing their Longtze Premier sails themselves. On their home waters, under the eyes of their trainers and their peers, Ariane and her team are take on the challenge of the Longtze European Tour.
What ever the final result, this large assembly of sportboats and one designs promises magic moments in sports, personal exchanges and atmosphere…
Meeting a the Naval Academy, in Lanvéoc, close to the Crozon island, on Thursday 21st at 16:00 for the first Longtze Premier races of this 8th edition of the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale.
A race within a race
Surprise guest in 2008, the Longtze Premier class is again the guest of honor for the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale : The Longtze Premiers have been chosen to compete for the “Trophée Virginie Heriot”. This race within a race (which will not count for the final classification) with be run at the end of the afternoon (starting at 17:30) the 21; 22nd, and 23 May.
For these races, all of the teams involved in the Longtze Premier circuit, invite you to come on board the « son of the dragon » to discover a sportboat like no other.
The Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale: much more than a competition
Created to open the doors of the Ecole Navale and show its strong links which unite the Naval School to sailing and more precisely racing, the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale has become a legitimate testing ground for sportboats.
Since 2002, the event has welcomed each year some 500 racers from all over, to race on equal terms, in one designs and sportboats on an extremely tactical body of water.
On shore, for 4 days, these men and women are brought together by the same competitive passion, sailing and the technology hosted by the Naval School: “the Grand Prix is also a formidable time of exchange and opening”, commented Gwénegan Le Bourhis, communication director for the Ecole Navale.
The sportboat, with its technology, performance, and innovative character is the same image of the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale. The Longtze Premier is the best example: it calls on high technology materials and concepts.“It is an impressive boat, very well designed. Their fleet is superb to see on the water. The Longtze Premier perfectly suits the image of the Grand Prix”, further explained Alain Daoulas, General Commissioner of the Grand Prix.
List of entries in the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale in LONGTZE PREMIER
Liste des inscrits au Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale en LONGTZE PREMIER
Nicolas BERENGER (France) – KONE Monospace – FRA 820
Heiko FALCH (Germany) – BROKER LINE – SUI 812
Guillaume FLORENT (France) – LONGTZE RACING – FRA 806
Luc GELLUSSEAU (France) – LUFTHANSA – FRA 818
Eckhard KALLER (Switzerland) – BROKER LINE 3 – SUI 815
Arthur LEVAILLANT (France) – KONE Maxispace – FRA 821
Ariane PROVOST / Stéphane CHRISTIDIS (France) – ECOLE NAVALE – FRA 805
Erwan TABARLY (France) – ATHEMA – FRA 822
Ronan TREUSSART (France) – FINISTERE COURSE AU LARGE
Jacques VAN DEN HEUVEL (Holland) – ANCRE DE CHINE – NED 808
+ to be confirmed 1 other Check and 1 other Belgium Team
PROVISIONAL OVERALL LONGTZE EUROPEAN TOUR SCORING
1. Nicolas BERENGER (France) - KONE MONOSPACE - 13.00 points
2. Luc GELLUSSEAU (France) - LUFTHANSA - 11.00 points
3. Eckhard KALLER (Switzerland) - BROKER LINE 3 - 10.00 points
4. Guillaume FLORENT (France) - LONGTZE RACING - 9.00 points
5. Andreas BIENTZ (Switzerland) - 8.00 points
6. Marc EMIG (France) - LONGTZE RACING - 7.00 points
7. Araine PROVOST (France) - ECOLE NAVALE - 6.00 points
8. Erwan TABARLY (France) - ATHEMA - 5.00 points
9. Arthur LE VAILLANT (France) - KONE - 4.00 points
10. Heiko FALCH (Germany) - LA JAUNE - 3.00 points
11. Ivo MARCONI (Monaco) - INCENTIVE CONCEPT - 2.00 points
The LONGTZE EUROPEAN TOUR
Some 15 Longtze Premiers will participate in this first edition.
La Primo Cup - Trophée Crédit Suisse : 12-15 Feb 2009 (Monaco)
Le Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale : 21-24 May 2009 (France)
La Deauville International Week : 4-7 June 2009 (France)
La Light Vessel Race, Zeebrugge : 4-6 Sept. 2009 (Belgium)
La Constance Lake Regatta, Kreuzlingen, 16-18 Oct 2009 (Suitzerland)
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The LONGTZE PREMIER, a jewel of technology, which puts into place, simplicity, a competitive price and a uncommon look….
This sportboat is the result of a design by Steve Thomson, a New Zealand naval architect, and was developed and readied by the America’s Cup team “Le DEFI”. Perfectly equipped, easily managed, very stylish, the Longtze Premier was instantly well received on European and Asiatic waters. Developed for sailboat racing, Longtze Premier combines the excitement of sailing a dinghy with the security of a small keelboat. It offers exciting sailing for experienced sailors as well as those new to the sport.
TECHNICAL SHEET 6,80m - Length: 2,57m - Waterline: 1,80m – Carbon mast height: 11m - Mainsail Racing: 20,6m2 - Code 1 Racing Jib: 13,4m2 - Spinnaker Asymmetrical Racing: 58,5 m2 – Hull weight: 260 kg - Weight keel and bulb: 300 kg.
To know more : www.longtze.org
Photos free of rights on demand
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