The ranking has changed this night, as the jury decided to disqualify the French team from Audencia in the last course, because of a mistake on the start line.

Today is more windy than yesterday. The first course of the day is not over yet. The Czech are in trouble as they have broken their spi halyard.

For the moment

1 – Italy

2 – USA

3 – Switzerland

4 – Ireland (Cork).

Today, there is a little more wind than yesterday, but still not a lot and they will have to be in full sail again.

The course is around the Frioul, and should start in a few minutes.

Here are the official ranking

1 – Czech (11pts)

2 – Ireland (Cork – 14pts)

3 – France (Audencia – 15 pts)

4 – England (17 pts)

4 – Italy (17 pts)

4 – Ireland (Limerick – 17pts)

7 – Scotland (21 pts)

7 – Switzerland (21 pts)

9 – USA (22 pts)

10 – France (Polytechnique – 24 pts)

11 – Wales (27 pts)

12 – Japan (28 pts)

There was no wind today, so the boats had to be in full sail. As it was the first course of the competition, the teams were rather tense. There were two false starts : the US team from Rhodes Island and the Swiss team from Lausanne. As they didn’t notice, they didn’t stop and finished 1st and 2nd, but they were disqualified. The two following courses were much more heated.

The results :

1 – England

2 – France (Audencia)

3 – Scotland

4 – Japan

5 – Czech

6 – France (Polytechnique)

7 – Ireland ( Cork )

8 -Italy

9 – Ireland (Limerick)

10 – Wales

USA and Switzerland were on the course side.

Course 2 :

1 – Italy

2 – USA

3 – Ireland (Limerick)

4 – Switzerland

5 – Ireland (Cork)

6 – Czech

7 – France (Ecole Polytechnique)

8 – Scotland

9 – Wales

10 – France (Audencia)

11 – England

12 – Japan

Course 3

1 – Czech

2 – Ireland (Cork)

3 – France (Audencia)

4 – Switzerland

5 – Ireland (Limerick)

6 – England

7 – USA

8 – Wales

9 – Italy

10 – Scotland

11 – France ( Ecole Polytechnique)

12 – Japan

Just a few words about the opening ceremony which took place Saturday at the Villa Pascal. The teams have been welcomed by a lot of people from the City de Marseille, from the 6th and 8th block of the city and from Marseille Provence Métropole. There were also official from AGPM Assurances, the official partner, and from the Ecole Polytechnique, the University of the organizers.

Here a few photos of the ceremony

This post is just to let you know that our previous website is seriously ill, and that’s why we blog on this new website now. We have been quite busy trying to fix everything, but now it’s fine, and you should receive updates all long the week. For the photos, you just have to visit our gallery.

Today, the weather is very sunny, but there is almost no wind. The twelve Grands Surprises are in full sail. They left from the Vieux Port this mrning at 10.30. am after the briefing to go North to the Estaque. It is windward-leeward course, from the Rade du Nord to the Frioul. The US team from Rhodes Island passed by the mark 1 first, followed by the Irish team from Cork and the Swiss from Lausanne. It was the first course and the teams were quite excited. The US team is suspected to have crossed the line in advance, but the jury has not decided yet.

You have been waiting for one year, but now the SYWoC 2009 begins. And this year, it is set in Marseille. This morning, after the last formalities, all of the 12 teams have left the Vieux Port for the sea for a training race. The public was right here, and all of them were amazed by the beautiful location of the race village. It is set just in front of the Town Hall, the Hôtel de Ville. And you can when ylook at it from the street, you can see the beautiful Vieux Port of Marseille, with the ‘Bonne-Mère’, the Holy Lady Church, at the top of the rocks.

All of the teams took part in the training race, except for Japan, United States and Scotland. It is supposed to be a bad omen if a boat cross the line, and we don’t have only one bad omen, but four, as the Czech, both French, the English teams, crossed the line. The Czech team was the first. They completed the race in 18′59”.

But the day is not over. Tonight will take place the opening ceremony, in the awesome Villa Pascal. All of the teams will be introduced, then will be welcomed by the chairman of the SYWoC and our sponsors : Ecole Polytechnique, AGPM, Ville de Marseille, Marseille Provence Métropole.

Après une année à l’attendre, l’édition 2009 a enfin jeté l’ancre à Marseille ce matin. Les 12 équipages se sont succédés dans la chaîne d’inscription avant de partir en mer pour des manches d’entrainement.

Le public a aussi été au rendez-vous. Le village de course situé juste en face de l’Hôtel de Ville jouit d’un cadre exceptionnel au cœur du Vieux Port, avec comme image de fond la ‘Bonne Mère’ Notre Dame de la Garde.

Le retour des équipes est prévu à 17h30, et ils ne sont pas au bout de leur journée. En effet, la cérémonie officielle d’ouverture a lieu ce soir dans la magnifique Villa Pascal. Elle sera couplée avec une conférence de presse. Tous les équipages se présenteront, puis interviendront les représentants des partenaires : l’Ecole Polytechnique, l’AGPM, la Ville de Marseille et Marseille Provence Métropole.