Bateaux.com : Hello, to start, can you tell us about your role in the Normandy Cup 2017?
Cédric Chateau: The Normandy Cup is organised by the Normandy Sailing League. Its director Francis Le Goff being race director on the Solitaire Urgo-Le Figaro at the moment, he asked me to take over for the Normandie Cup. I am therefore responsible for the technical organisation and at sea, while Elise Martin is in charge of the organisation on land. All year round, I'm a permanent member of the league, in charge of training.
Can you explain the genesis of this race?
The Normandie Cup was created in 2015 under this name, even if it takes over from the Normandie Sailing Week that existed before. It responds to a request from the city of Le Havre to create a major sailing event in the English Channel. The aim is to become the reference regatta in the basin, like the Spi Ouest France in the Atlantic.
It is also part of the regional dynamic of the Normandy Sailing League to promote local sailing, as with the creation of the Normandy Elite Team in 2013. The aim is to prevent our talents from exile in Brittany to continue sailing professionally and to create a centre in the image of Lorient or Port La Forêt. It supports two crews, one of which is 100% female in the Diam 24 in the Normandy Cup. Among the sailors who are coming, we can mention Charlie Dalin in the Figaro, Jérémie Mion or Camille Lecointre, medallist at the Olympics. The evolution is good and we have gone from 2 permanent employees in the Upper Normandy sailing clubs in 1994 to 120 in 2014.
Concerning the Normandie Cup, what is the program?
As I was saying, the aim is to bring all the local sailors, but also more widely in France and internationally. To achieve this, we are multiplying the media and the type of event, to attract a variety of audiences.
The Diam 24 regattas, which is the last race before the Tour de France à la Voile, attract professionals and amateurs alike. It is the series of excellence. We also have a beautiful fleet of 25 J80s, which is one of the favourite mediums of Normandy sailing. The Normandy Cup of Clubs will see 13 local structures competing in First 7.50.
Besides that, the beautiful dynamism of the double-handed navigation has led the league to accompany it by creating this year the "big race", which starts on Friday evening at 8 pm with a return scheduled on Saturday around 4 pm. It is run in Osiris rating, with a start given from land, the English way. The simplicity of this circuit seduces many people. On the same course, we'll also see several crewed boats in IRC.
Are you satisfied with the forecasts for this year and how do you see the evolution?
Even if we hoped to reach the 100 registered boats, we are quite satisfied to reach the 80 participating yachts, which confirms the existence of a large pool of local sailors and the good health of Norman sailing. For next year, we would like to be able to welcome the Class 40 double-handed yachts, with whom we have started discussions. In any case, the dynamics are good!
