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20 September 2005, 10:20 am

Jamie LEA and Team Barbarians Lead After Day One

Ocean BMW Melges 24 European Championship 2005

Torquay, Great Britain

The Ocean BMW Melges 24 European Championship 2005 got underway in Torquay, Great Britain yesterday with two classic light airs races that kept the 50 competitors from 10 nations on their toes and left several of the top favourites feeling decidedly off the pace.

Race one started in approximately six knots of wind and the right was favoured. At the first mark it was Jamie LEA, helming Stuart SIMPSON'S Team Barbarians from Philippe LIGOT'S Partner & Partners, sailing with new helm Francois BRENAC. Frenchman Thomas ROUXEL in Cotes D'Amor Sail de Mer rounded third with the Austrian team of Michael SCHINEIS fourth and Henri SAMUEL fifth.

By the second weather mark Partner & Partners had snuck past Barbarians as behind them Italy's Gabrio ZANDONA, helming for the reigning European Champion crew of Giovanni MASPERO aboard Joe Fly, pulled into third. Fourth was SCHINEIS with Frenchman Antoine ALBARET in Cotes D'Armor Perros GUIREC fifth and SAMUEL sixth. The leading three held position on the last run. Andrea RACCHELLI played the shifts from seventh to fourth with SCHINEIS fifth and ROUXEL sixth.

By the second race the wind had increased to eight knots. Right was still preferred and at the first mark Alba BATZILL, fresh from winning the 6m Worlds and sailing Eddy EICH'S No Woman No Cry, led from Barbarians with Tim COLLINS in third, Antoine ALBARET fourth and Andrea RACCHELLI fifth. Race one winner Partner & Partners had a disasterous start and rounded in the 40s.

BAZILL confidently defended to the finish as the pack did battle. The shifts ensured many place changes. RACCHELLI eventually ground Barbarians into third. ROUXEL pulled into and held fourth as Stuart RIX, helming Team Gill for Britain's Quentin STRAUSS, claimed fifth despite a mediocre fifteenth at the first mark. Back in the pack Partner & Partners worked every little shift moving steadily through the fleet from 40 to 11.

In the overall standings Jamie LEA and Team Barbarians lead with five points from Andrea RACCHELLI in Altea on six points. Thomas ROUXEL in Cotes d'Armor Sail de Mere is third, Philip LIGOT'S Partner & Partners Sailing Team, helmed by Francois BERNAC, is fourth and Stuart RIX, with Quentin STRAUSS'S Team Gill, lies fifth.

Top ten after two races

Pos	Nation	Boat Name	Owner	Helm	R1	R2	Pts
1	GBR	Team Barbarians	Stuart SIMPSON	Jamie LEA	2	3	5
2	ITA	Altea	Andrea RaccHelli	Andrea RACCHELLI	4	2	6
3	FRA	Cotes d'Armor Sail de Mer	CDVH	Thomas ROUXEL	6	4	10
4	FRA	Partner & Partners	Philliipe LIGOT	Francois BRENAC	1	11	12
5	GBR	Gill	Quentin STRAUSS	Stuart RIX	9	5	14
6	FRA	Cotes d'Armour Perros Guirec	CDVH	Antoine ALBARET	8	9	17
7	SUI	PoiZon Rouge	Jean-Marc MONNARD	Jean-Marc MONNARD	10	15	25
8	FRA	Zig Zag 15	Henri SAMUEL	Henri SAMUEL	7	19	26
9	MON	Sogeti	Benjamin COHEN	Antoine FRICKEY	14	13	27
10	FRA	Cotes d'Armor	CDVH	Vincent BIARNES	13	17	30