Bol D’Or, manca poco al via dell’edizione 2009
AlturaVela 12 Giugno 2009 Zerogradinord 1
Bol D’Or Mirabaud – Ginevra – Si svolgerà tra il 12 e il 14 giugno sul Lago di Ginevra il settantunesimo Bol d’Or Mirabaud, la regata in acque interne che vanta il maggior numero di iscritti al mondo. Più di 570, infatti, sono le imbarcazioni iscritte alla manifestazione: numeri che si riflettono in oltre 3000 velisti pronti a darsi battaglia un’ora più tardi rispetto all’orario solito. Nel tentativo di assicurare condizioni meteo migliori, il Comitato Organizzatore ha spostato di un’ora il segnale di avviso, portandolo dalle 9.00 alle 10.00 del mattino di sabato.
Laciata Ginevra, la flotta farà rotta verso Bouveret, dall’altra estremità del lago. La regata dovrebbe concludersi nele prime ore della domenica.
Organizzato dalla Société Nautique de Genève, il Bol d’Or può fregiarsi della presenza di alcuni tra i più grandi velisti al mondo. Tra i protagonisti di quest’anno ci saranno diversi specialisti della vela oceanica. Pascal Bidegorry, ad esempio, timonerà il D35 Banque Populaire, coadiuvato da Yves Ravussin, suo compagno di avventura durante la Transat Jacques Vabre del 2007. In regata ci sarà anche un altro Ravussin, Stève, timoniere di Veltigroup, per non parlare poi di Michel Desjoyeaux, vincitore dell’ultima Vendée Globe e tattico a bordo di Foncia, il Decision 35 di Alain Gautier, e di Loick Peyron, uno che l’Atlantico l’ha attraversato 42 volte.
All’appuntamento non può certo mancare il patron di Alinghi, Ernesto Bertarelli, che sarà alla barra di SUI-1, e il timoniere del defender, Ed Baird, impegnato a bordo di SUI-6 con Brad Butterworth ad occuparsi delle chiamate.
Ma a fare la regata non saranno solo i velocissimi Decision 35, da qualche mese protagonisti del circuito Challenge Julius Baer. Notevole sarà la partecipazione di Fun, Grand Surprise, Surprise e Toucan: da sempre considerati la vera anima della manifestazione.
La regata potrà essere seguita da diverse zone del lago e anche via web, dato che molte dele barche in gara avranno a bordo dei sistemi di localizzazione GPS.
Ricordiamo che il campione uscente è Franck Cammas, vincitore dell’edizione 2008 su Zebra 7-Girard Perregaux.
Per consultare il sito dell’evento clicca qui.
BOL D’OR MIRABAUD: EVER MORE BEAUTIFUL
[Bol D’Or Mirabaud Press Release] On June 12-14, Lake Geneva will once again bubble with excitement for the world’s largest inland lake regatta: the Bol d’Or Mirabaud presented by Girard-Perregaux. Around 570 sailboats are expected to participate … and up to 3,000 crewmembers will be able to sleep an extra hour that day, since the 2009 competition is marked by a major change in its schedule. Indeed, the starting gunshot of the 71st Bol d’Or Mirabaud will go off at 10.00 a.m. on Saturday morning (corresponding to 9.00 a.m. solar time), allowing for better sailing conditions.
A taste of the ocean
Organized by the Sailing Circle of the Société Nautique de Genève, the Bol d’Or Mirabaud can be proud of having attracted an ever-growing number of ocean racing stars. This year, the number of participant great blue water-racing champions will be particularly high. Pascal Bidégorry will helm a new D35 catamaran, Banque Populaire, accompanied by his associate Yvan Ravussin, with whom he teamed up in the 2007 Jacques Vabre Transatlantic. Another new D35 in the competition is Veltigroup, with Stève Ravussin accompanied by his local crew and Olympic windsurfing medalist Franck David as tactician. Much awaited Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe, will sail with Alain Gautier on the Foncia D35. Aboard Okalys-Corum, we will see Loïck Peyron, a loyal participant of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, who has forty-two Atlantic crossings and last year’s victory in the mythical English Transatlantic race under his belt. Ernesto Bertarelli will be accompanied by a crew comprising lake specialists on Alinghi SUI-1, while Ed Baird and Brad Butterworth will challenge Bertarelli on “his” second boat, Alinghi SUI-6! A master of Olympic sailing, Yann Guichard will participate in this Bol d’Or Mirabaud on the M2 Safram. Pierre Pennec, another talented racer and right-arm to Franck Cammas, will sail aboard Zen Too. Fred Le Peutrec will be at the helm of Smart Home, a Décision 35. As for the Swiss Dominique Wavre, he will sail aboard a 7.50 alongside Michèle Paret, a brilliant French female sailor with whom he ran the Barcelona World Race, and Marc Guillemot, who possesses an equally remarkable curriculum vitae. Karine Fauconnier will helm Dona Bertarelli-Spaeth’s now famous Ladycat, with an exclusively female crew.
What a sight
In Geneva, fans will be able to watch the start of the race from different vantage points, such as the Pré-Byron in Cologny, la Belotte or the Vengeron beach.
A series of online images, www.skippers.tv, will allow for a visual review of the start, which is expected to be posted online by Saturday afternoon.
On the race itinerary between Geneva and le Bouveret, one will, of course, be able to observe the most exceptional boats, the result of advanced nautical research, innovation and maneuvering, but also a colorful palette of more traditional categories – Surprise, Grand Surprise, Toucan – that will participate in this adventure under a climate of kinship and team spirit. All agree that the Bol d’Or Mirabaud is a magnificent event, whether it involves testing the limits of sportsmanship and overall performance, or simply having a good time.
Those at home can follow the race in real-time and be regularly updated with online news on the Bol d’Or Mirabaud’s website, www.boldormirabaud.com, thanks to 100 GPS beacons equipping the frontrunners in each category in addition to a selection of other boats.
Let’s remember that last year, it was Zebra 7-Girard-Perregaux with Franck Cammas that won the Bol d’Or Mirabaud.
Rendez-vous at the Société Nautique
On Saturday June 13, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) will open its doors at 7.00 am to welcome competitors, who would have retrieved their racing packages the day before. Families, friends and spectators may enjoy breakfast at the SNG in a friendly atmosphere. Note that the public is welcome all day and all night Saturday, and Sunday, with the possibility of admiring the winning boats in each category up close as they tie-up at the honor dock with their crew… a unique opportunity for amateur photographers!
To visit the event website click here.it.
