Lufthansa sets sail with the 2010 Figaro Bénéteau
At the start of the Longtze Bodensee Cup, the fifth and final event in the Longtze European Tour, 3 teams were still battling for the title… At the end of the day, only one could triumph.
The water in Kreuzlingen seemed calm, but had a few surprises in store for the Lufthansa Longtze Team: squalls, sunshine and even some hail! The teams didn't have an easy time of things, but the competition proved more exciting than ever and the suspense extreme: at the last buoy, there were still two boats in the running for the top position in the Longtze European Tour!
The results and photos can be found at the end of this report.
There was an extremely full programme for this final event on the circuit. A series of short-course races were held: 4 on Friday, 4 more the following day and 2 on Sunday. Pierre Mas, the organiser of the Longtze European Tour said: "The regatta was extremely well organised; laps were fast, highly tactical and technical, but at the end of the day, what made the difference was the ability to deal with stress."
The Lufthansa team, grand winner of both this race and the Longtze European Tour, fulfilled its mission marvellously. Claus Becker, Lufthansa's Director-General for France & Benelux, congratulated our skipper and his team, paying tribute to an exemplary race: "I heartily congratulate Luc Gellusseau and the rest of the Lufthansa Longtze Team for this victory on Lake Constance, and of course for winning the first Longtze European Tour. They snatched a fantastic victory in this final regatta and put on a superb performance throughout the entire Longtze Tour! This boat provided us with a wonderful vessel to fly the Lufthansa colours during this circuit and we certainly haven't been disappointed! A final congratulations goes to our boat sponsors – Breitling, Murphy & Nye, Sixt and Swiss – with whom we have shared in a very beautiful adventure."
All that remains to be done now is to meet again in 2010 for some new adventures and exhilarating nautical moments. See you again soon!
Classification in the 5th stage:
1. Luc GELLUSSEAU (France) – LUFTHANSA – FRA 818
2. Erwan TABARLY (France) – ATHEMA – FRA 822
3. Res BIENZ (Suisse) – BROKER LINE 3 – SUI 817
4. Nicolas BERENGER (France) – KONE MONOSPACE – FRA 820
5. Eckhard KALLER (Allemagne) – WET FEET – GER 824
6. Jarmo WIELAND (Suisse) – SUI 815
7. Arthur LEVAILLANT (France) – KONE MAXISPACE – FRA 821
8. Michael GOOD (Suisse) – ZEROEIGHT TEAM – SUI 812
9. Christophe ESPAGNON (France) – OSC – FRA 805
10. Manon BORSI (France) – FRA 804
11. Felix SOMM (Suisse) – SUI 809
12. Markus ZITENER (Suisse) – CARISSIMA – SUI 816
13. Heini ROTH (Suisse) – SUI 811
14. Florent GUILLAUME (France) – FRA 805
A few photos from the regatta:
