The skipper of Cellmen ARDENTIS was the first to cross the Vieux-Rhône mark, after 5h57’22” of racing. He is ahead of Pétrel, skippered by Arnaud Gavairon, and Carpediem cube (Luc Munier).
The Syz Translémanique en Solitaire 2022, which brings together 121 yachts, is currently taking place in ideal conditions, with a nice breeze enabling competitors to make good headway.
The leading yachts passed the halfway mark at Le Bouveret and headed back to Geneva. François Thorens, at the helm of the Psaros 40 Cellmen ARDENTIS was the first to cross the mark, at 15h27’22”. He leads Pétrel, skippered by Arnaud Gavairon, by nine minutes, and Carpediem cube (Luc Munier). The rest of the 121-strong fleet is closing in at a good pace, with the wind evenly established on the lake.
At 9:30 am this morning, the 121 competitors set off as the Bise was timidly beginning to settle on the small lake. Well positioned downwind of the fleet, Cellmen ARDENTIS immediately took the lead, ahead of the sharpest Psaros 33s: Pétrel, Carpediem cube, MSC, Raijin. The Luthi 1090 Katana, skippered by 17-year-old Alexander De Weck, and the Body & Soul helmed by the event’s godmother, Alexia Barrier, were also among the most prominent protagonists at the outing from the small lake.
Among the best positioned yachts at the start of the race were the Toucan l’Egger, among the very first off Yvoire, Surprises CER Banque du Léman (Erwan Lamoureux), Adrénaline Les 2 Rives (Thierry Campiche) and Allégretto.
In the Grand Surprises, Whituby (Benoît Rol) led the way, ahead of Isis (Jennifer Schlup) and Mobilière (Beat Möckel).
Also in the running for the compensated time are the Farr 30 Sumumm (Stéphane DuPasquier) and Hans-Peter Bichelmeier’s Melges 24, not forgetting the Toucan ALTATANG, helmed by Jean Philippe Ryter, which passed the marker less than 45 minutes after the leader – an exceptional performance for a 40-year-old yacht!
There’s still a long way to go, and many twists and turns are still possible, particularly if certain storm cells develop in a threatening manner. According to the weather forecast, however, the wind is set to remain strong into the night.