Criterium National Classe A in Plobsheim report
Plobsheim, in Alsace, is just South of Strasburg and saw the first French regatta of the season over the Easter weekend. It had a decent turnout, of some 22 boats. Chris Stock took part, and reports.
The closer the Easter regatta in Plobsheim drew, the greater the doubts became. Is it really a good idea to go sailing in freezing temperatures when the ski lifts are back in operation in the nearby, snow-covered Black Forest – not to mention the Alps? But the weather gods up there must have a soft spot for sailors. There is no other explanation for why, just in time for the regatta, the thermometer was back in double figures and the sun was making more and more frequent appearances. The Rhine Valley is, as is well known, a climatically mild spot in Central Europe, and this fortunately came into its own for the sailors.
Above all, however, there was good sailing wind throughout the long Easter weekend. Sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, but it was enough for ten proper races. Twenty-two sailors from France, Belgium and Germany had gathered, though only a single foiler was among them. This isn’t down to the venue; the sufficiently large Rhine side basin south of Strasbourg, with its shallow water, is ideal for foiling. Normally, the wind is also fairly constant in both direction and strength. Not so on the first day, however, when a westerly breeze of around 7 knots created interesting conditions. Anyone who failed to notice the massive right shifts could lose several hundred metres on the left-hand side of the course within a minute. Most sailors, however, only made that mistake once. We managed to complete three great races on the first day. Unfortunately, a mast broke, but a spare mast was quickly on hand.
The second day then treated us to near-ideal conditions with a steady wind of around 12 knots. It was almost always possible to complete full downwind legs on a single hull, which proved to be the quickest way to reach the leeward gate. A windward gate was also set on this day – a wonderful thing, especially when the distance between the two buoys is wide. This relieves the pressure at the windward mark enormously and offers more tactical options. In particular, the notorious crash tacks at the windward mark are no longer necessary: you simply sail straight through the gate on port, bear away and then jibe at some point when you want to cross to the other side of the course.
The third day began with a lovely race in moderate conditions. This came as a pleasant surprise to the sailors, as the weather forecasts had predicted gusts of up to 24 knots. But one shouldn’t rejoice too soon: the gusts did eventually arrive during the second and third races of the day, and once again in the form of massive right-hand shifts. The upwind leg thus turned into a wild rodeo ride, and downwind, a quick release of the sheet was required whenever one of the fierce gusts struck. Torn sails, broken tiller extensions and numerous capsizes increasingly decimated the field. The race committee then decided to send the sailors ashore, which nobody was sad about.
For the prize-giving ceremony, the organising team led by A-Cat sailor Benjamin Westerfeld from the host club ACAL had come up with something very special – though unfortunately, it’s something that can only be repeated at very few A-Cat regattas: a dedicated youth classification. Four sailors under the age of 18 had entered the competition, some in older boats, but all with great motivation. With their enthusiasm, they easily beat quite a few old hands in the rankings. First place in the youth classification went to Cyrille Reichheld, second to Matheo Monpetit, and third to Anthony Digregorio – all three are local heroes from ACAL who have barely outgrown the Optimist.
In the overall standings, Claude Brasseur (BEL 10) secured bronze. Silver went to Eric Girardin (FRA 26); he was the only sailor whose points were close enough to the winner, Christian Stock (GER 100), to keep things exciting right up until the penultimate race. This is because, of the 12 races scheduled, only one discard was allowed. One false start plus one equipment failure, and that’s it – your title hopes are over, no matter how many good placings you’ve achieved otherwise.
The Criterium National would have deserved a few more entries, as it was a lovely event in a good sailing spot with a very reasonable entry fee. Despite the good organisation, things are always relaxed in Plobsheim; as a regatta participant, you feel very welcome. In short: the regatta was a lovely Easter present for the sailors.
Christian Stock (GER 100)
