Seychelles Sailing Cup-Sunsail Pirates succeed Drivé as winners |29 January 2008

This year’s edition of the Seychelles Sailing Cup, which attracted 15 boats – 14 multi-hulls and one mono-hull - concluded last Saturday night with the closing-cum-prize-giving ceremony and gala dinner hosted by the Paradise Sun Hotel on Praslin.

Vice-President Joseph Belmont, who is also the Minister for Tourism, graced the evening with his presence.

Sébastien Col and his four crew members won the star prize which comprises a trophy from Diamond SA, all team members getting return air tickets from the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and one-week accommodation on bed and breakfast at the Sunset Beach Hotel sponsored by Sunset Beach Hotel.

They won three of the four sailing races for six points and picked up 26 points in the fishing contest for a cumulative score of 32, one less than runners-up Comme Tu Veux of Belgium (12 points in sailing and 21 points in fishing).

Skippered by Seychellois Fabien and Dominique Coecke as team manager, the Comme Tu Veux team won a trophy from Diamond SA.
In third place were another mixed Seychelles/France team – Mooring Pirates - with 34 points (8 points in sailing and 26 points in fishing) to also win a trophy from Diamond SA.

The Mooring Pirates team were led by one of the world’s most successful solo sailors, Frenchman Michel Desjoyeaux, who besides winning the Solitaire du Figaro and Transat Jacques Vabre last year won the Vendée Globe of the 2000-2001 season and is to participate in the 2008 edition.

Last year’s winners – Drivé – the only all-Seychellois team, finished a distant eighth this time with 69 points (37 points in sailing and 32 points for fishing). Drivé, who retained just three of the sailors who helped the boat to victory last year, were also hit with a handicap, meaning they could not use the genoa (large jib sail) while the other boats used all three sails – main sail, jib sail (triangular sail) and genoa.

The only boat in the mono-hull category – STK- had for skipper and team manager German Heinrich Moog.
Three other prizes were given out on the night with Petit Baigneur winning the Big Game Fishing trophy, Happy’s the Best Uniform trophy, and Cerp the Fair Play trophy. All three prizes were sponsored by Diamond SA.

During the week-long Seychelles Sailing Cup, the participants and foreign journalists sailed between islands – Mahe, Praslin, Curieuse, La Digue and Marianne – and many activities were organised on the different islands at night.

It is worth noting that the competition was sailed under the authority of the Seychelles Yachting Club in accordance with the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) international racing rules. Teams with fewer points lead in sailing competitions as is seen in the final results standings.

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The complete results
1st Sunsail Pirates – 32 points (6 points in sailing and 26 points in fishing)
2nd Comme Tu Veux – 33 points (12 points in sailing and 21 points in fishing)
3rd Mooring Pirates - 34 points (8 points in sailing and 26 points in fishing)
4th Petit Baigneur – 46 points (30 points in sailing and 16 points in fishing)
5th Happy’s - 47 points (21 points in sailing and 26 points in fishing)
6th La Gaviotta - 66 points (31 points in sailing and 35 points in fishing)
7th Victoire - 68 points (44 points in sailing and 24 points in fishing)
8th Drivé - 69 points (37 points in sailing and 32 points in fishing)
9th Leysen – 70 points (35 points in sailing and 35 points in fishing)
10th Press Team 1 - 75 points (37 points in sailing and 38 points in fishing)
11th Gescom B1 – 79 points (45 points in sailing and 34 points in fishing)
12th Cerp - 84 points (43 points in sailing and 41 points in fishing)
13th Press Team 2 - 97 points (51 points in sailing and 46 points in fishing)
14th Amex Round Island - 107 points (60 points in sailing and 47 points in fishing)
15th STK – 46 points

G. G.