Mark and Rima Bugler started their summer cruise on Saskia with a trip to Portsmouth to watch the Americas Cup World Series as Rima had been given tickets to view from the race village on Saturday by her boys for her birthday. However what was supposed to be a simple spectator trip turned in something much more!
Rima was in need of some new shorts so we headed down to the Musto outlet store in Gunwharf Quays. having bought the essential shorts we noticed that Musto was sponsoring Team Groupama and that they were hosting a team press conference and Q&A on Friday. We decided to attend as we were interested to meet the French AC 45 sailing legend Franck Cammas who has won so many offshore titles including the Volvo Ocean Race, Route de Rhum and Solitaire du Figaro! When we arrived at the press conference we were presented with drinks, canapés and a numbered wrist band. We later learnt that the number wrist bands indicated your raffle ticket number for the draw at the end of the event the winner of which would join Franck and the team on Groupama for a race on Super Sunday. It came as a great shock when Rima won the raffle.
Rima was supplied with full Groupama Musto branded foul weather gear and later a helmet and body armour! Sunday dawned and Rima was beginning to feel a little nervous, especially when she had to sign the disclaimer in event of injury or fatality! I was also invited to join Rima and the French team manager to watch proceeding for their support RIB.
As we left Gunwarf Quays in the French team rib the enormity of the situation began to dawn on us. It was blowing 15knts and the AC 45 were foiling on their foils at speeds of excess of 30knts! Once on the race course the team manager received the worst possible news for Rima that it was judged too windy for guests to join the pros for racing. We resigned ourselves to simply watching the fanatic action from the RIB. However with just 20 mins to go before the start of the first race the news came over the radio that guests were now allowed and Rima was urgently required on team Groupama! Rima with helmet and body armour was transferred to the AC 45 with lighting speed.
Franck and the Groupama team flew away from our RIB to perform a fantastic gybe on the foils. Rima said the racing was breath taking. In particular the start was exciting as these great machines were foiling literally inches away from each other. While Sir Ben won the race in question and eventually the whole regatta Rima had equally as big a smile on her face that day.
Our thanks go to Musto and Franck and the whole Groupama team who made us so welcome. We have made a some new friends and hope to sail Saskia down to Lorient to visit the Groupama team headquarters later in August.
Mark Bugler Saskia VII
Submitted on 24th July 2016