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Nice treats the French crew on
Edmond de Rothschild Group to a win
The
Nice Grand Prix, an event synonymous with light airs, rounded off this
evening with victory going to the crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group. Pierre Pennec and his three crew controlled
the seventh act of the Extreme Sailing Series 2011 to perfection.
Putting up a very consistent
performance throughout the first four days of the competition, the men of Gitana Team managed to leave Terry Hutchinson's team in their wake despite an incredible
comeback by the American in the closing races. With this second victory, the
catamaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin
de Rothschild has snatched back the reins of the championship, a
leadership which had been left in the hands of the New Zealand team at the
end of the Boston Grand Prix.
After this seventh act, Pierre Pennec and his three crew
are ahead of the Italians on Luna Rossa, whilst Dean Barker and his Kiwis complete
the provisional podium for the 2011 circuit.
A second win! Seven months after
their victory in the Oman Grand Prix, which opened the 2011 season of the Extreme Sailing Series, Pierre Pennec, Hervé Cunningham,
Thierry Fouchier and Christophe Espagnon have treated
Edmond de Rothschild Group to another success, and on the only French leg of
the circuit to boot: "It's really a great pleasure to win here in Nice
in front of a French crowd, which has been behind us everyday", said a
smiling Hervé Cunningham on the podium.
Once again, the Extreme
Sailing Series fleet managed to keep up the suspense all the way to the
finish. When the sixth and final race of the day was run, the equation was a
simple one: with a three point lead over Terry Hutchinson and his men, Pierre
Pennec's crew knew that they had two possibilities:
to either finish ahead of Artemis or, at worst, just astern of the Swedish
one-design. Indeed, tradition has it that in the last race of the Grand Prix it's double-point scoring.
However, though the basic premise is clear, the race itself was to see
considerable jockeying for position since the two boats battling for victory
on the waters of Nice switched position with every mark rounding. [...]
The men of Edmond de
Rothschild Group will only have a few days to savour
their fantastic victory on the waters of the South of France. Indeed, in a
week's time, they'll be heading to Andalusia to contest the eighth act of the
2011 season. The latter will take place in Almeria from 12 to 16 October 2011.
> A look back at the five days of the Nice Grand Prix
on the Gitana Team website
Ranking for the Nice Grand
Prix (after 29 races)
1. Edmond de Rothschild Group (FRA) - 229 points
2. Artemis Racing (SWE) - 228 points
3. Alinghi (SUI) - 215,5 points
4. Luna Rossa (ITA) - 209
points
5. Oman Air (OMA) - 185
points
6. Red Bull Extreme Sailing
(AUT) - 179.5 points
7. Emirates Team New Zealand
(NZ) - 163 points
8. Team GAC Pindar (GBR) -
160 points
9. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) -
156 points
10. Team Extreme (EUR) - 119
points
11. Niceforyou (ITA) - 118
points
Ranking for the Extreme
Sailing Series 2011 (after 7 Grand Prix)
1. Edmond de Rothschild Group (FRA) - 61 points
2. Luna Rossa (ITA) - 59
points
3. Emirates Team New Zealand
(NZ) - 54 points
4. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) -
52 points
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing
(AUT) - 49 points
6. Artemis Racing (SWE) - 48 points
7. Alinghi (SUI) - 48 points
8. Oman Air (OMA) - 38
points
9. Team GAC Pindar (GBR) -
21 points
10. Niceforyou
(ITA) - 16 points
11. Team Extreme (EUR) - 15
points
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