SolOceans | status
Quiberon-bukten i Frankrike 5:e september eller Roaring Forties i december? Foton: Jean-Marie Liot.
Bostik has been on here tour showing everyone what she is capable of. She has been to Northern Europe on the 18th June and has sailed 1,700 nautical miles in very different sailing conditions, with stopovers in the Netherlands, in Germany during the renowned Kiel Week and in Sweden, returning round Denmark.
Then she was off to the USA in July from Cherbourg to the Port of New York City. Alexia Barrier (FRA) was at the helm of Bostik. This will open the course of a transatlantic race specially created for the Veolia Oceans® one-design class that will be raced every year from Summer 2009. She arrived after 15 days 30 minutes across the Atlantic Ocean.
After more than a week dedicated to daily sailing sessions with the American media and skippers as well as with VIP guests, Bostik headed back towards Cherbourg (Normandy – France) on Wednesday 30 July with a crew composed by Charles Caudrelier and Yann Clavier. Arriving home after 11 days 6 hours and 15 minutes, sailing over the 3,501 nautical miles (6,480 km) of the course, at an average speed of 12.95 knots.
Since then she has been in for alterations learnt from all her travels and bring her into the strict one design rule.
On 28 August Bostik started her last promotion and test campaign. On Saturday morning, Yann Clavier set sail towards La Trinité-sur-Mer (Brittany – France) where she will be presented for the first time to the French sailors. He was sailing for a week in the Bay of Quiberon, including a day with onboard Michel Desjoyeaux, the technical consultant of this oceanic one-design series.
5 September at 35 to 40 knots of steady wind (Force 7 to 8), with gusts at 45 knots, that Bostik went out for one more test navigation with Charles Caudrelier at the helm. The bay of Quiberon was completely white with the foam and not a single boat dared to go out today in such hostiles conditions.
“Down wind with the main-sail double-reefed and the jib all the time, Bostik was at 25 knots. We were constantly reaching at twenty knots. The waves sweeping the deck permanently at this speed which is very dangerous and one should take refuge inside and let the auto pilot (NKE) manage the situation. And it does it perfectly actually” declared Charles Caudrelier once back onshore, his face covered with salt. “The new fitting out of the living area is more spacious. Everything is more accessible. It’s good like that. Concerning the boom, we will try it in less extreme conditions”. That’s what is going to take place next Monday under the supervision of North Sails France management who will test the new sail included in the one-design (a Code 0) and who will validate for good the set of sail for the one-design series with Michel Desjoyeaux, technical consultant of the Veolia Oceans® series and Charles Caudrelier. A small to moderate
breeze is forecasted for Bostik on that day.Bostik will then sail towards La Rochelle to take part to the Grand Pavois. After that, Yann Clavier and Charles Caudrelier will join La Rochelle to Cannes, Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Tropez and Monaco. Then a delivery journey to the south will allow Bostik to take the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race (Malta). It will be the first official confrontation of the Veolia Oceans® one-design with other racing yachts. To conclude this sailing campaign, Bostik will be delivered back to Normandy in October on time to be at the annual rendez-vous of The International Paris Boat Show.
On July 24 boat number two entereded its fit out stage at V1D2 while boat 3 was in the mould.
So the plan remains to have 8 – 10 boats on the starting line for 25 October 2009.