Mumm30 Worlds in France
Back in May of 2005, I accompanied Richard Perini’s Mumm30 Team to La Trinite Sur Mer in France for the Mumm30 Class World Championship.
The team consisted of Richard, Tom King, Mike Dunstan, Darren Jones, Stan Eldershaw, Chris Cook and Andrew Parkes. Definitely no lack of tallent with an Olympic Gold Medal, at least eleven World sailing titles and victories in such races as the Sydney to Hobart between them in various classes.
I was the team coach and Michelle Jacques was also in attendance as the shore-based support.
The team had won the Mumm30 worlds in 2004 and had just concluded a Farr40 campaign that culminated in winning the Farr40 Worlds in Sydney just 6 weeks previously. Despite a limited preperation, the team did very well at the France worlds, placing 5th. All of the top 4 place-getters were either professional teams, gearing up for the multi-stage Tour de France (sailed in Mumm30’s) or had sailed a lot on the Bay of Quiberon in the preceeding months (as in the case of the poms that placed 3rd). Behind us were three highly rated teams that we have battled against in the Farr40 class (Barking Mad – USA, Mean Machine – GER and Grooverderci – USA). Some of the world’s best sailors were in attendance at this event. Anyway…all-in-all… we were reasonably satisfied with 5th overall. Many lessons were learnt that will all be valuable for the future.
La Trinite Sur Mer is on the south coast of the Brittany peninsula. Awesome sailing town. Same sort of feel as Cowes in the UK or Newport in the US. The culture of Brittany, the food, the people and the scenery make me want to head straight back there. After the regatta, most of the team over-nighted in Paris. We ate at a fantastic restaurant and generally soaked up Paris. Wonderful memories…
Richard’s team are currently into an intensive campaign to defend the Farr40 Worlds in Newport, Rhode Island in Sept 2006. Also thrown in there is a campaign to contest the Mumm30 Worlds in Miami come November ‘06. All happening….
Since returning to Australia, Richard Perini was named “Australian Yachtsman of the Year” for his team’s victories in the Mumm30 and Farr40 World Championships. More on RP later on sometime…
Here are some images of the Mumm30 trip:
