BOM_2009

030
THE OCEAN STARS
APPRECIATE LAKE GENEVA
With more than 30 foreign skippers entered
for the race, the Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2009
affirms itself as an international regatta.
It took Loïck Peyron a little time to understand
the importance of the Bol d’Or for
Lake Geneva’s yachtsmen and women. At
50, this skipper from La Baule in France
has accumulated a wealth of nautical
experience. He has 43 transatlantic
crossings to his credit, of which more
than 20 were solo, as well as holding numerous
records. In the closed circle of great
seamen, he has always been known as a
master of multihulls, although he never
turned his back on the monohulls, which
have not always been a joyride for him.
He was seriously affected by his enforced
withdrawal from the Vendée Globe after
the dismasting of his Gitana Eighty.
Pierre Nusslé
1
2
For several years Loïck has been learning
about the lake and its particularities.
“To win the lake’s most popular regatta is
quite an achievement,” he says. “Before, I
used to follow it from a distance, but in
2005, when we won on Okalys, Nicolas
Grange presented us with a small replica
of this highly coveted trophy. It still takes
pride of place on my desk. I love the lake, it’s
fresh water, it doesn’t sting your eyes! You
need to constantly keep one step ahead
and, of course, have in-depth knowledge
of the winds. Multihulls are my speciality,
but the learning process never finishes
on these racing machines which require
a certain standard of piloting to not
capsize.” This year, Loïck Peyron should
again be one of the favourites in the
highly competitive pack of Décision 35s
and their spin-offs, the Ventilo 28 M2s.
1 Alain Gautier, multihull
specialist at the helm
of Foncia.
THE MOZART OF SAILING
On this June weekend on Lake Geneva,
the ocean stars get a taste of the open sea
again. Last year, Franck Cammas and his
young crew on Zebra 7 were the heroes of a
wild high-speed chase. The French yachtsman
is involved in several big projects with
Groupama and the American challenge’s
giant trimaran, BMW-Oracle. Nicknamed
the “Mozart of sailing”, he interpreted the
complicated score of an unpredictable lake
to perfection. The young helmsman from
Aix-en-Provence could still be drawn in by
Lake Geneva’s mermaids, if his many oceanfaring
engagements would let him.
2 Ernesto Bertarelli is
a fierce competitor.
Last year he fought
his way back to take
third place.