Gentle start brings relief for Gilmour

Sailing

Sailing

STUART ALEXANDER

reports from Sete, France

The big names were given a gentle start to the Coupe Brut, third of the five Faberge Grand Prix match-racing regattas, with just three races of Division A being sailed after a 7-9 knot Mediterranean southerly came in during yesterday afternoon.

Australia's Peter Gilmour, the French gold medallist Thierry Peponet, the Netherlands' Roy Heiner and Australia's Neville Wittey all had 100 per cent records. Their prey were Denmark's Mort Henriksen, French regional qualifier Nicolas Berenger, and two of the three female skippers, Christine Briand and Dawn Riley.

With two more days to complete the round-robins for both divisions of eight boats, the committee was hoping to squeeze more races into the evening, but the quarter-final places seem destined for the seeds.

Enjoying better conditions was the international gathering of Swan owners in Cowes. Only one British boat managed a top-three place in a 16-mile race around the eastern Solent. Keith Miller won Class One in Crackerjack, while the Dutch celebrated second through Klaus Nijpens in Anna Barbe.