Sixth in the provisional ranking after the first day of racing, Pierre Pennec and his three crew - Christophe Espagnon, Hervé Cunningham and Thierry Fouchier – continued to up their game from one race to the next to round off the sixth act of 2011 with second place. Thanks to this performance, the catamaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild has moved up a place in the overall standing and is currently lying in second just a point shy of the leader. As such the men from Gitana Team have regained all the confidence they’ll be needing for the last three meetings of the season.
Eighth at the Cowes Grand Prix, contested a month earlier in the waters of the Solent, the men from Edmond de Rothschild Group were keen to get back in contention in this Sicilian stage and show their rivals that, though they’d taken a knock, they were far from out of the running. By earning themselves a second place in the Trapani Grand Prix, after an incredible, ruthless battle, Pierre Pennec and his three crew really pulled this off.
In just ten days’ time, the Extreme Sailing Series fleet will be on the Côte d’Azur to contest the seventh act of the 2011 season. The only French leg of the championship, Nice will play host to the Extreme 40s for the first time from 28 September to 2 October. Edmond de Rothschild Group, the only French team to compete in the nine events which make up the circuit, will be temporarily joined by a second French team led by Jean-Pierre Dick. With the return of Dean Barker and Terry Hutchinson, respectively at the helm of Emirates Team New Zealand and Artemis Racing, the Nice Grand Prix promises to be just as intense a battle as the one which concluded here in Trapani today [...].
> A look back at the five days of the Trapani Grand Prix on the Gitana Team website...
The crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group
Pierre Pennec - Skipper / Helmsman
Christophe Espagnon – Mainsail trimmer
Thierry Fouchier – Headsail trimmer
Hervé Cunningham - Bowman
Ranking for the Trapani Grand Prix after 34 races
1. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) - 283 points
2. Edmond de Rothschild Group (FRA) - 274 points
3. Oman Air (OMA) – 266,5 points
4. Luna Rossa (ITA) - 263 points
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) - 260 points
6. Alinghi (SUI) – 256,9 points
7. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZ) - 206,5 points
8. Team GAC Pindar (GBR) – 171 points
9. Niceforyou (ITA) - 161 points
10. Team Extreme (EUR) - 145 points
11. Artemis Racing (SWE) - 0 point
Ranking for the Extreme Sailing Series 2011 after six Grand Prix
1. Luna Rossa (ITA) – 51 points
2. Edmond de Rothschild Group (FRA) – 50 points
3. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) – 49 points
4. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZ) – 49 points
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) – 43 points
6. Alinghi (SUI) – 39 points
7. Artemis Racing (SWE) – 37 points
8. Oman Air (OMA) – 31 points
9. Team GAC Pindar (GBR) – 17 points
10. Niceforyou (ITA) – 15 points
11. Team Extreme (EUR) – 13 points