2021 European Surprises Championships

The European Surprise Championships took place in Thonon-Les-Bains on the last weekend of October. Two crews from Luc Voile competed in this regatta!

They’re the big winners of the weekend! Zoé at the helm, with Aldo, Pietro, Pierre, and Laurie as her crew. Luc Voile 2 turned heads and will be a force to be reckoned with on the circuit next season with two brand-new mainsails (thanks to Top Voiles, and thanks to Mayer Opticien for putting them up as prizes!). It was a matter of luck, of course, but partly fueled by the fact that both LUC Voile boats participated in all seven events of the Top Voiles Cup.

The crew’s sailing performance was on par with the weather conditions. Out of three valid races, they recorded one BFD and one DNF—which makes one want to avoid dwelling on the overall standings! However, finishing the first valid race in 15th place placed the crew in the upper range of their expectations, given the high level of competition among the 35 participating crews. The first substitute race was often a relief for LV2, particularly after incurring a penalty at the starting line, or when it saved them from a DNS that would have added to their collection of severe penalties. The crew’s best moments will remain a climb upwind where the boat momentarily proved to be among the fastest in the fleet, launching on an opportunistic port-tack start downwind.

As for Luc Sail 1, helmed by Lennard and with Loïc, Adrien, Lucanaël, and Yann as crew members, this European Championship was very frustrating. After finishing the first race in a very respectable 6th place, the team set off highly motivated for the second race. After a very poor start, the crew regrouped and made a magnificent comeback upwind, rounding the mark in 15th place, then gained even more positions on the downwind leg under spinnaker; after moving up to 9th place, the finish line closed out about 1.5 meters in front of the Surprise’s bow. That’s because, when the first boat crosses the line, a 15-minute countdown begins, and anyone arriving after the timer runs out is disqualified. As a result, in this race, more than three-quarters of the crews were disqualified!

After this disastrous race for the overall standings, the team set out again with renewed motivation but ended up sailing the wrong way around the course, finishing in 21st place. It was with a touch of bitterness and disappointment that the team returned to shore. There were some great moments, but challenging weather conditions prevented the boats from sailing properly. Nevertheless, we had unforgettable moments on the water, with a wild atmosphere, incredible team spirit, and superb organization of the event!

A huge thank you to our partners: UNIL–EPFL University Sports, the City of Lausanne, Réseau Delta, and Forum EPFL!

See you on the water very soon :D :D :D