How do you explain the success of the Tour de Belle-Île?
It came pretty fast. Registrations have evolved very quickly from year to year and for the last 6 years they have been stable with 400 participants. I think that this idea of mixing professionals and amateurs has a lot to do with it and it didn't exist in France. We already had this type of race in England with the Tour of the Isle of Wight, which is a very popular event with more than 1,400 crews taking part, the Barcolana in Italy (NDRL: record edition in 2017 with 2,101 yachts) and the Bol d'Or Mirabaud in Switzerland.
That's the real key to success! It's a unique moment for amateurs who share their weekend, their starting line, their sailing, their evening with sailing "stars". They really have the opportunity to rub shoulders with them. What's more, sailors are very accessible people. When you're a fan, it's unique to be able to do that! That's what makes the Tour de Belle-Île so popular
On the professional side, the format is an asset. It's a race that they can invite their partners to, where they like to meet up with their fans. It fits well! Everyone gets together in a good atmosphere and it's a nice and really unique moment. Even for them, by the way. They sail with small boats, which they meet at the exit of the bay of Quiberon, even though they have already been around..
Thomas Coville remembers that when he was a kid, he used to sail with his family and see his sailing stars, and his eyes would shine. He's happy today to be able to share that.
Anyway, it's a very simple regatta. You sign up until the last moment. And you can do everything online. The course is also simple to understand and navigate. The race is a one-day race, so there's no need to take a day off. Today, there are a lot of constraints in life, but not at home. Everyone can come, even at the last moment.
We have people who rent a boat especially for the occasion, bands of friends, several couples with their children to spend a festive weekend, but also sports. We also have a crew exchange on our site with boaters looking for crew members and boaters looking for a boarding.
Can you remind us of the concept of the Tour? The difference between the P'tit Tour and the Grand Tour?
At the start of the Tour de Belle-Île, there was only the Grand Tour (42 miles) with a single start for everyone at 10 am, on a single starting line, for small 6m boats as well as large multihulls. On the first edition, there were 224 participants, then 280 the following year and we quickly reached 300.
The smaller boats have to sail close to a shelter, which was not a problem as there are many behind Belle-Ile. But with the increase in the number of participants, it was becoming difficult to be able to shelter so many people if necessary.
The P'tit Tour (37 miles), which is only slightly shorter than the Grand Tour, was launched, inviting participants to follow Belle-Île from the inside, while others follow it from the outside. This "safer" course is better suited to smaller boats, those not designed for offshore sailing, or for those who are able to do so, but who prefer to sail with their families in more comfortable conditions. The sailors on the P'tit Tour represent barely 20% of the fleet.
Departures and arrivals are the same, it's just the navigation in Quiberon Bay that differs.
You can register up to the evening before (the 1st of July) e june at 0 h) under the village tent or finalize your registration!
