groovy!

Our friends on Groovederci just kicked a little ass in the Talmont Saint Hilaire – Royan leg of the TFV. Owner Deneen Demourkas tells us about the really close finish:

We had taken off from the start with the leading 7 to 8 boats.  Eventually took the lead around 30 miles from the finish.  After rounding the mark at the entrance to the bay, the wind shut down and we were passed by Dunkerque with fifteen miles to go.  The wind completely shut down (again) about two miles from the finish, the boat was making .09 to 1. of COG (0.00 Boat Speed) with the current sweeping along the shore and then pushing towards the finish.  Dunkerque had drifted inside and were faster than us,

Oman passed us above (we could have shook hands they were so close and we were all laughing,  okay not all of us, at the absurdity by this point), Safran was charging hard from the other side of the bay.  We tried wing on wing, nothing, other boats were trying to trim for upwind (sails flapping), finally we let the main all the way out, held it there and pointed the bow at the pin end, all of us pushing hard on the leeward rail!  Just before the pin and with Safran (kite up) a threat, Jono Swain who was driving at the time decided we needed to jibe!  We rolled the boat as hard as we could and ghosted across the line just before Safran, Dunkerque and Oman!