National Criterium WETA 2016, FR

July 26th, 2016

Yacht Club du Der (1-3 July)

The National WETA this year took place in Champagne in early July 2016.

28 boats gathered for three days of racing on the magnificent 4800ha Der lake, with good wind and an impeccable organization from the Yacht Club and the race Committee.

Five windward leeward courses and two rounds around the lake, whose outline can be very winding making turning buoys sometimes complicated to find, were played, and highly contested, with wind force 1 to 6.

Such complex races were needed to determine the winner amongst all the competitors before the excellent dinners (offered by Innovoile and the Yacht Club du Der) took place, without forgetting the aperitif, with Champagne of course ....

Some sailors took the opportunity to stock up from the local producers who supplied us, maybe because they were not certain that they could collect the Champagne Magnums handed to the winners …   

Navigating for the National on an inland lake was a first for our competition, and if surfing on the waves occurred less than at sea, the flights under gennaker on flat water still made for great memories!

The winners were:
Solo: In first place, Olivier Ballevre, a regular of that position, ahead of a newcomer to the competition, Christian Chapelin in second place and Arnaud Piot in third.

In tandem: Jean-François and Loïck Eeman came first in a boat steered by the youngest competitor (10yo), ahead of Dominique Pille and Corinne Schuchard and then Benoît and Clément Evrard who, for once didn’t win, having finally yielded to pressure from their fans...

And the official ranking with corrected time (aaargh !! the ratings …) :

Eeman father and son
Olivier Ballevre
Dominique Pille and Corinne Schuchard

A great thank you for their donation of the winners’ prices to the Yacht Club du Der, Innovoile, Gréement Import (Ronstan) and Weta Class France.

We can’t wait for the next National criterium !!

Photo gallery by Daniele Evrard

Photo gallery by Roger Bougy

By Bruno C

translated by Mel (Perth, WA)

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