The Tour De Wetass–Around France, On Mumm 30s: The French are having a rough week. Lance Armstrong is kicking everyone’s butts on the bike. And out on the water–in the other Tour–another American is in the lead as well. This tour is called the Tour Voile (“sail” in French), and like the better-known biking version it circles France in a counter-clockwise manner, as teams race Mumm 30s from port to port, competing in both inshore and offshore races. The whole thing, which set sail from Dunkirk on the English Channel on June 28 and will finish in Sainte Maxim on the Mediterranean on July 29, is a vastly underappreciated event. There are three classes (professional, amateur and student) and they mix it up in in conditions which range from nuclear to near calm. The sailing is non-stop and hot, the parties ashore are wild, the camaraderie is legendary, and there are no German fans to spit on the leaders (Lance is still wiping his eye). This year’s surprise leader is American Deneen Demourkas in Groovederci, who thought the Tour sounded like a good way to spend a month sailing in France and put together a top flight team. “I just think making the decision to come here and do this event was one of the best things I have done. I think because it’s pretty raw–it’s just sailing. It has this sub culture here with the pikey [onshore] camp and it’s just all about sailing. It’s inshore, it’s offshore, it’s just great,” she told the Daily Sail. Everyone who sails this thing has the same reaction. For good reason…



“Holy sh*t! If we all jam ourselves into this aft corner we might just keep this thing upright. But how the hell do we stop after the finish…?”