Which boats are exhibited at the Grand Pavois?
On the Grand Pavois we are keeping the same target, which is fairly representative of the market. There will be a representative proportion of registrations, i.e. 60% motor boats and 40% sailboats.
We will also have a large multihull area with 38 models on display and many world premieres. We also have a lot of motor boats and medium-sized boats (7.50 m). Finally, we have very large offers from French and foreign builders (Scandinavia, Sweden, Jeanneau, Bénéteau.)
We also have so-called event boats, in a mechanism of animations. On the water, we will have the Multi 50 Rennes Saint-Malo French Tec, with which Gilles Lamiré, who will also be present - will race in the next Transat Jacques Vabre, but also Hydrofolie, which is a hydrofoil trimaran for ocean racing. On land, Yvan Bourgnon will be present with his daughter to tell his story, the Bateau Lune, a typical Bangladeshi boat built with flax fiber, or the boat Damien with which Gerard Janichon had completed a 5-year world tour. We had launched the restoration in 2012 for our 40th anniversary e anniversary and so the marine plywood hull will be on display to the public. It's a nice nod to this restoration project launched in 2012.
And of course, this year's sponsor is Armel le Cléac'h, who will come with his brand new Banque Populaire VIII.
What are the sizes of the boats?
We will find boats from 6 to 15 m, but we remain quite representative of units between 8 and 12 m. We also have boats of various sizes.
What's new this year?
In addition to enlarging the multihull area and developing the fishing area, we have also greatly developed the test area. We value the fact that we are an in-water show, so we have reconfigured our water area. We removed a pontoon for the exit and entry of boats. As a result, about a hundred boats will be available for testing, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., whereas last year, there were about thirty. Finally, the pontoons will continue to open at the end of the day, from 6 pm to test the other models.
Finally, Voile de Nuit is back.
Ãeuros not to be missed this year on the boats side and on the animation side ?
There are many things! On the boat side, we have a lot of things and a lot of novelties in many sectors. We will have big boats, but also small boats, long-distance boats, motor boats or even Finnish novelties that arrive on the market. This year, there will be many novelties in all sectors.
Finally, on the animation side, Night Sail is back this year. We stopped it in 2012. There will be a parade of boats, including Banque Pop VIII. It's a great moment to have this type of boats there and it will be a highlight of Grand Pavois. We expect between 50,000 and 55,000 visitors for the evening, while La Rochelle has 80,000 inhabitants!
