BERCK 6-HOUR ENDURANCE RACE IN FRANCE

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REPORTS FROM BERCK via phone from Gareth Rowland
Last weekend (Sat and Sunday, October 26 and 27) the hardiest of European landsailors descended on Berck in France for the running of the annual Berck 6-Hour Endurance Race. However, Mother Nature interferred with race plans and the event wasn't held although an exhibition race, with wing masts only, was run.

Gareth Rowland reported that the weather conditions had not improved sufficiently for the Berck 6-Hour Endurance Race to be staged on the Saturday so a 45-minute race was run for those brave (or foolhardy) enough to face to conditions. Of the 44 yachts entered for the Berck event, 18 started.

Because of the strong winds they raced only with wing masts. Gareth said because no one had sails, yachts couldn't easily be indentified (no sail numbers) so pilots had to switch with their team mate after each lap so lapscorers could record racing. Gareth and Jon Cookson managed to complete 3 laps, the leaders (Benny Dezeure and E Lemmens) at the end of the 3/4 hour race had done 5 laps. Gareth said you knew there was going to be trouble when, during the pilots' briefing which was held in French then English, the word "carnivore" was used three times. Carnivore term given to the yacht and pilot eating holes Berck beach is renown for. As it turned out, Gareth ran foul of them bending the front wheel of "his" yacht which belongs to fellow Brit and Fylde club member Jon Cookson, whom Gareth was co-piloting for.

When Gareth phoned he said that it was hoped that some racing would be held on Sunday morning. At the time of his call (midnight French time) the Eole Clubhouse in Berck was being hammered by very heavy rain again. He said the front windows facing the sea had been taped with crosses to protect them from wind-blown objects."What does that tell you baout the storm coming," he said. Sand was everywhere according to Gareth.

Gareth has since reported via text message (10am Sunday morning) that any further racing at Berck has been cancelled. He is presently at the Chunnel awaiting a train and says the area is jam-packed with people trying to get back to the UK as all ferry crossings have been cancelled because of the adverse weather.

RESULTS of the exhibition race are:
1 B30 B.Dezeure - E. Lemmens (B)
2 F377 D. Ravaut - Ph Touron (F)
3 F307 B. Lambert - S. Warendeuf (F)
4 F125 F. Grard - F. Noguier (F)
5 F76 S.Boyenval - Y. Lefevre (F)
6 F20 P.Cormier - JE Deloffre (F)
7 B94 J.Sobry - A. Weislo (B)
8 F994 J.Lamiaux - JC Gilles (F)
9 G3 R.Gabler - P.Mahrt (DK - D)
10 F585 A.Delafouch - H.Rousselle (F)
11 F339 C.Touron - H. Touron (F)
12 B105 J.Leye - W.Wynck (F)
13 F89 B.Krzyzaniak - C.Peny (F)
14 F1411 M.Bourdrez - B.Boucard (F)
15 K41 J.Cookson - G.Rowland (GB)
16 H220 G.Van Rijn - A. Akker (NL)
17 F316 A. Giret - JB Ribaud (F)
18 F337 E.Charpentier - JC Bouville (F)

DNS
19 F11 B.Gobert - E.Bauer (F-D)
19 G30 C.Hanke - O.Weber (D)
19 G44 H.J. Dibbert - H.Bergmann (D)
19 F709 JC Morel -B.Morel (F)
19 G7 H.Carsten - J.Tils (D)
19 F882 JP David - JP Goubet (F)
19 G39 J.Lohmann - PB Wulf (D)
19 F1199 JL Quenneville - B.Kaczmarek (F)
19 F336 A. Haouache - A.Grigorieff (F)
19 B1 E.Engelbrecht - B. Engelbrecht (B)
19 G1 HW eickstadt - A. Mahrt (D)
19 F411 JC Joss - D.Lendormi (F)
19 F1414 S.Lambert - L.Darras (F)
19 F918 P.Foulegnie - G.Caron (F)
19 F12 F.Mesnil - S.Appler (F)
19 B210 G.Ameele - P.Demuysere (B)
19 B36 P. Allemeersch - O. Gottlich (B - D)
19 B21 E. Van Den Rijt - I. Ameele (NL - B)
19 F224 MP David - JL Passet (F)
19 F618 M. David - C. David (F)
19 F209 E.Malfoy - B. Berry (F)
19 F602 N.Delepouve - H.Quigon (F)
19 B19 R.Seibel - Y. Demuysere (B)
19 F1202 R.Fauquette - P.Cohn (F)
19 F1222 C.Travers - E.Groult (F)
19 F80 D.Gervais - O. Imbert (F)

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BERCK EXHIBITION RACE IMAGES - SATURDAY From Saturday, October 26, 2001 Click on photo for larger image.
A landyacht graveyard? Conditions were wild at Berck.	Flying sand and lots of wind...	Gareth Rowland and Jon Cookson getting ready for racing.
Gareth and Jon all alone on Berck.	Is this the briefing or were they all huddled together to keep warm?	At least one competitor was ready to give it a go!
And they're off! The hardy ones waiting for the flag to drop.	Jon Cookson's bright RWO keeping the British flag flying.	Jon going back the way he came. Watch out for the "carnivores!"
Speaking of "carnivores", where did that one come from? Oops!	Going down, abandon ship!	Glug, glug... a drive through yacht wash.
Pilot changeover... wait for me.	Another changeover. Err, the brake pedal is on the left!!!	"Yacht 54" where are you...? Mum it's lonely out here!

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