After celebrating her 120th birthday in Nantes â?" the place where she was built â?" last June, the Belem continues to celebrate the event in the four corners of France: Wine Festival in Bordeaux, Grande Parade Nautique in Marseille (September), but before that, Fêtes Maritimes de Brest 2016, from July 13 to 19. And for the occasion, the Belem Foundation has concocted an exclusive program with visits on board and sailing or concerts. "The Belem will be open to all, that's our vocation, but we have also imagined an original and creative program, exclusively for Brest 2016, with workshops, a 24-hour navigation or a special evening concert for 120 years" explains Christelle de Larauze, General Delegate of the Belem Foundation.
120 years of the Belem in Nantes ©Jean Marc Clero
Public Visits
Tours will be held from Wednesday, July 13 to Friday, July 15, 2016 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (last lift at 5:30 p.m.). The boat will be located quai des Ultims, porte Jean Bart. A final round of tours will be held on Monday, July 18 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Quai Malbert, Porte des Rampes, before the Grand Parade on July 19.
The Belem workshops
From Wednesday, July 13 to Friday, July 15, 2016, two 2-hour sessions (10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.) at the rate of 25 euros/pers. will allow you to discover the boat in all its corners. Groups of 30 people will be welcomed by the crew to discover the boat, its history and its hidden secrets. A private visit commented by a sailor will give access to the commander's lounge âeuros recently renovated - and the battery, places usually not accessible to the public.
It will also be an opportunity to try out maneuvers. For the first time, the crew will propose to the participants to set a sail or to climb in the mature of the Belem. The climb will depend on the weather conditions, but also on the sailors' attire of the day, so bring your sneakers!
Private party for a wild birthday
On the evening of July 14th, from 9 pm to midnight, fireworks will not only resound in commemoration of the storming of the Bastille. For 45 euros/pers. each visitor will be able to enjoy a concert, a private visit, a tasting of cider and pancakes. The traditional fireworks of July 14 will close the evening.
24 hours of sailing on the weekend
From Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 July, 48 freshwater sailors will be able to taste the joys of sailing on the Belem and discover the handling of a large 19th century square-headed lighthouse sailing ship. The Belem will leave from Brest harbor in the evening and will pass the Petit Minou lighthouse. The Belem will evolve in the Iroise Sea and will take the channel of the oven to pass Saint-Mathieu if the evolution is done in the north, or towards the south to pass towards Camaret and the Cape of the Goat.
Grand Parade
The Belem will participate in the Great Nautical Parade from Brest to Douarnenez alongside the other rigs present at the Festival.
