

The Firsts are out in force!
6 Bénéteau Firsts are competing in the event, three of them from the core French teams led by Géry Trentesaux, skipper of the First 45 Lady Courrier.
Sailing conditions in the Solent have been exceptional since the start of the competition on Monday, with sunshine and wind for this legendary race which draws together 45 boats representing 6 nations.
Following two days of upwind-downwind inshore racing, the First 45 Lady Courrier took three of the four legs, giving the French team France Bleue (to which it belongs) second position overall in the provisional rankings.
Wednesday will see the crews set sail for the offshore race. The competition finishes on Sunday 6th July, which still gives plenty of opportunities for the 3 French teams to improve their ranking.
First 45 Lady Courrier won Bell Lawrie Scottish Series 2008
Tarbert Loch Fyne, Scotland: The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series top award, the Scottish Series Trophy, has gone to France for the first time as Gery Trentesaux and his crew on the new Philippe Briand designed First 45, Lady Courrier, topped the 14 boat IRC Class 1 at the annual four day regatta on Loch Fyne which attracted 170 entries.
In conditions which could scarcely have been bettered, 12-20 knots of South Easterly breeze which flecked the dark nay waters with white horses, and relentless sunshine, Lady Courrier may have come of second best to David Dwyer's Crosshaven, Cork based Marinerscove.ie in both windward-leeward races today, but the Lille entrepreneur and his 12 strong crew, which included his student son Nicholas, posted a final scoreline of five first places and two second places.
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P. Briand Yacht Design
46.16 ft
44.88 ft
13.78 ft
23 368.99 lbs
8.99 ft
592.01 ft²
52.84 gal
140.03 gal
54 CV/hp
A12/ B12 / C12
7.87 ft