20.06.2008
Gitana Eighty for the lifeboatmen and women
At 1800 hours on Sunday 22nd June, the monohull in the colours of the LCF
Rothschild Group, will take the start of the Record SNSM.
The event honours those who save lives at sea and it is changing its format for the fourth
edition, offering a course which is twice the distance for those competing
in the Imoca class. Indeed, boats measuring in excess of 50 feet will set
out from Saint Nazaire, on France’s Atlantic coast on Sunday, to complete a
round trip of over 568 miles, rounding a mark off Saint Malo. This tour of
Brittany, which according to the latest forecasts will involve predominantly
upwind sailing, will be swept by moderate to light breezes: a scenario
synonymous with a race which promises to be tactical due to the numerous
options open to competitors with the various tacks and the increased
duration of the race.
Aboard Gitana Eighty, there will be five crew contesting this Record SNSM.
Back in La Trinité-sur-Mer last week after returning from Boston
single-handed, Loïck Peyron and the Gitana Team have got back to work to
remove the monohull’s keel and kit it out with a new appendage. “The Gitana
Team has performed a superb job to get us ready in time to be in Saint
Nazaire. It wasn’t a trifling matter as the minute I got back from Boston,
in the middle of last week, it was necessary to unstep Gitana Eighty’s mast,
lift her out of the water, remove her keel and equip her with a new keel and
then relaunch her… operations which proved both quick and efficient! I am
happy to be able to participate in this crewed race, as it’s always
interesting to compare yourself to others, and assess Gitana Eighty’s speed
potential. Added to that the event is for a good cause, in honour of the
lifeboatmen and women. These are courageous volunteers who are always there
when you need them" explained Loïck Peyron.
The crew of Gitana Eighty on the Record SNSM: Loïck Peyron (Skipper), Cyril
Dardashti, Antoine Mermod, Didier Le Vourch’, Sébastien Thétiot
Gitana, a passion for sailing
Spurred on by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, the Gitana story opened towards
multihulls in 2000 with Gitana IX. An ‘armada’ followed with Gitana X in
2002, Gitana 11 (Ex-Belgacom) in 2004, then Gitana 12 (Ex-Bonduelle) in 2006
to replace Gitana X. In 2007, a year after the arrival of Loïck Peyron at
the head of the Gitana Team, the fleet diversified: Gitana 11, the 60 foot
Orma multihull and outright winner of the Route du Rhum 2006, was then
accompanied by Gitana Eighty, a 60 foot Imoca monohull, and Gitana 13, a 33
metre maxi-catamaran was devoted to discovery. Crewed records for Gitana 13
and solo races for Gitana Eighty: this new season already promises to etch
some fine lines in the histories of the Gitana boats…
Find all the latest about the Gitana Team at www.gitana-team.com
Photo credits: Yvan Zedda / Gitana SA
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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