video: SPI OUEST - A35 - JPK 10.80 - SF 3600

The big French sail reunion, the Spi Ouest, the race where professionals and amateurs join in good fun, finished yesterday.

Regarding that big battle between the JPK10.80 and the SF3600 we can say that the JPK won but not by much and both boats were beaten by the A35R that was the real winner. On the 7 races only for two times the JPK 10.80 arrived first in real time, the A35 one and a First 40.7 crossed the finish line first  in four of the races. The SF 3600 never manged to arrive first.

On compensated the 1st was the A35R, the 2nd the First 40.7, the 3rd the JPK10.80, the 4th the SF3600 and the 5th another A35. Anyway the fastest boat around was the First 40.7, an older and slower boat than the First 40 or my own boat, a Comet 41s. I bet that many would have expected that the two new boats to be much faster in real time;-)  Sure the First 40.7 is a 40ft and the new boats are 36fters but even so the SF3600 is practically a racing boat while the First 40.7 is a performance cruiser. In what regards that also the clear winner between the JPK10.80/SF3600 is the JPK that has a good cruising interior.

I like also more the looks of the  JPK 10.80 with that sexy looking view forward. Have a look here:

http://www.voilemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/221_SOMMAIRE-copie.jpg

http://www.voilemagazine.com/2014/04/jpk-10-80-lheure-de-verite/#more-13019

In what regards regatta racing the picture seem to be finished, unless alterations are made on the boats: The two new boats are contenders on IRC2, both competitive boats, but for now the A35 is the winner. Regarding the new JPK, the boat is not in IRC2 as competitive as his little brother, the JPK 10.10, is on IRC3, where is domination is absolute.The SF3600 seems comparatively better in IRC2 than the SF3200 is in IRC3.

Next chapter will be the one of  solo or duo offshore racing, the next Transquadra Transat, in about 3 months and there is probable that these boats will be faster than the A35 that seems not to be faster than the JPK10.10 or the SF3200 on solo/duo transat races.

A word for the bigger class on the Spi Ouest, that curiously is raced on an American designed boat, even if they are built in France, the J80: