The Bee team definitely not the B-team!

Published 16:27 on 8 Aug 2013

ÄòRaging BeeÄô, one of the two JPK 10.10s at the Yacht Club de Cherbourg, is having an amazing season, having won her division and come 3rd overall in the Round the island, and 4th in the RORC IRC championship. With an excellent team aboard she is back at Cowes Week and leading IRC5 by a massive 14 points as of Thursday afternoon with two bullets, a second and a third.Louis-Marie Dussere, her owner, was ashore yesterday as Thierry Lacour had arrived to replace him in the pit, so that ÄòLoulouÄô can have a bit if a rest before starting two-handed, with crew member Guillaume Lamarre, in the Fastnet on Sunday. Loulou showed me the radical track of the beat back up the Solent in the morningÄôs race, which I took a picture of as itÄôs so extraordinary Äì the team decided to hug the island shore to avoid the tide, making thirty tacks to do so, while the rest of the fleet took the less extreme route along the mainland side. The result - a win for the Bee with six minutes in hand!Loulou explained the name and the logo, which is a combination of many things. The bee comes from the golden bees found in the treasure of Childeric, king of the Franks in the 5th century, which Napoleon took over as a favourite heraldic symbol. Loulou rather likes the idea of a Napoleonic visitation of England! The ÄòragingÄô comes from the film ÄòRaging BullÄô, and the boat is certainly living up to its name!We wish Loulou and Guillaume the best of luck for the Fastnet and look forward to the BeeÄôs next visit to Weymouth.The other JPK 10.10, ÄòNight and DayÄô, which was also at Weymouth a few weeks ago for their Transmanche, is joining them for the Fastnet, with father and son team Pascal and Alexis Loison aboard. Alexis came a creditable 9th in this yearÄôs Figaro Solitaire, and they won the recent RORC St Malo race overall, so they are clearly also a boat to watch.Bonne chance, les gars!Steve FraserCruiser Class Captain

Last updated 15:13 on 28 July 2025