Martinique Flying Regatta, the Caribbean’s first event solely for foiling boats, concluded Friday with the two fastest from each of the six classes.
Two each of the GC32, KiteFoil, Windfoil, Moth, Flying Phantom and Onefly – lining up in the final of the Karibea Speed Challenge. This comprised a 0.4 mile long blast reach down a course off Fort Saint Louis, ending just off downtown Fort de France.
Demonstrating again that the KiteFoils are the fastest foiling boats here, the top two Kitefoilers Axel Mazella and Kieran Le Borgne were first and second respectively in the Karibea Speed Challenge.
Mazella winning the first prize of a weekend for two at one of the Karibea Hotels on Martinique. The KiteFoils finished ahead of the GC32s, followed by the Moths and Windfoils together, and finally the Oneflys.
Over the last five days, the Kitefoilers sailed 12 races, including a 26 mile coastal ‘Raid’ yesterday. Across all, Mazella maintained his perfect scoreline as Le Borgne finished second, ahead of Vendée Globe skipper Morgan Lagravière.
In the GC32s, Franck Cammas’ NORAUTO and Team France Jeune, reclaimed the lead after winning yesterday’s triple points scoring Raid. He followed this up winning all four races Friday.
The Moth class turned into a two horse race over the last couple of days, with France’s Anthony Rezzoug (image top) relieving Swiss rival David Holenweg of the lead Thursday. In Friday’s two windward-leewards, Holenweg closed, but only by one point, not enough to regain the lead.
Former Whitbread Round the World Race crew and professional photographer Philippe Schiller claimed the last Moth race to take third overall behind Aymeric Arthaud.
Best of the Brits was Dave Jessop in eighth place.
The closest finish was in the Moth-like, one design Onefly class, where Julien Villion managed to maintain his lead to win by a point from his usually dominant team mate Guillaume Pirouelle.
In the Windfoil class, there were two stand-out performers this week with both Trevor Caraes and Thomas Lequesne never finishing off the podium.
Lequesne closed dramatically when he won the coastal Raid yesterday, albeit just 10m ahead of his rival, but Caraes ended the event six points clear.
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