I have been kindly invited by Jean Luc Esplaas onboard his Archambault 40 "41 Sud Electropac" for the 320 nautical miles bi-annual classic "Beneteau Lagoon Cup Noumea (New Caledonia) Port Vila (Vanuatu) Race 2009" for the local it's simply called the Port Vila race..It was perfect bare foot sailing conditions with a 28 degrees Celsius water temperature, a reasonably smooth and without hiccups reach tack in a 25 knots trade wind and a magnificent full moon for the ambiance...
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I have been kindly invited by Jean Luc Esplaas onboard his Archambault 40 "41 Sud Electropac" for the 320 nautical miles bi-annual classic "Beneteau Lagoon Cup Noumea (New Caledonia) Port Vila (Vanuatu) Race 2009" for the local it's simply called the Port Vila race..It was perfect bare foot sailing conditions with a 28 degrees Celsius water temperature, a reasonably smooth and without hiccups reach tack in a 25 knots trade wind and a magnificent full moon for the ambiance exactly as advertised with a very close finish to get all the ingredients in the same basket. .First a multihull "McMoggy" skipper Denis Planchon arrived on Sunday night after a 34h and 38 mins race, the first monohull a Dufour 44 "internautic 6" skipper Thierry Causer arrived on Monday early morning after a 41h and 3 mins race followed by a trio in a pure dawn match racing in the Efate Bay in Port Vila Vanuatu, an Archambault 40 "Lagoon Ozone" skipper Olivier Decouzon in 42 h 52 mins followed by an our dearest Archambault 40 "41 Sud Electropac" skipper Jean-Luc Esplaas in 42 h 54 mins and 4 s and a Young Eleven "Radical Concept" skipper Philippe Mazard in 42 h 54 mins and 50 s...I told you it was a close finish after 320 nautical miles. .All results can be found on: http://cnc.navitrac.fr/stat.php.23 yachts participated in this year's event. Jean Luc Esplaas and his Archambault 40 "41 Sud Electropac" did this race in preparation for the upcoming 65th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race..Vanuatu, formerly the Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides is largely an untouched paradise in the South Pacific. Port Vila is the seat of government and the main business centre of the island group. .I have been kindly invited by Jean Luc Esplaas onboard his Archambault 40 "41 Sud Electropac" for the 320 nautical miles bi-annual classic "Beneteau Lagoon Cup Noumea (New Caledonia) Port Vila (Vanuatu) Race 2009" for the local it's simply called the Port Vila race..It was perfect bare foot sailing conditions with
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