Orient Express Team unveils its crew
Since February 2, 2023 and the announcement of the participation of Orient Express Racing Team, the official challenger in the 37th America's Cup, Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois have been working to get the French challenge off the ground. Today, some fifty people with a wide range of skills and expertise have joined the team. An AC40 will start sailing in August, an AC75 is being built in Brittany, teams for the Youth and Women's Amercica's Cup have been selected, and a group of sailors is already training on a simulator. Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet are the prospective helmsmen aboard the Orient Express Racing Team boats, which will also feature François Morvan and Matthieu Vandame as trimmers. Seven cyclists have been selected:
- 2 sailors: Olivier Herlédant and Tim Lapauw
- 4 rowers with multiple medals: Germain Chardin, Antoine Nougarede, brothers Rémi and Thibaut Verhoeven
- 1 CrossFitter: Maxime Guyon
Five participants in the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest
The contours of the first solo round-the-world race in an Ultim 32/23 are taking shape. Registration closed on Friday June 30: five skippers will take the start charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Armel Le Cléac'h on Banque Populaire XI, Thomas Coville on Sodebo Ultim 3, Tom Laperche on SVR-Lazartigue and Anthony Marchand on Actual Ultim 3.
Summer sailing for young people
Organized by the FFVoile in collaboration with the clubs, the French Youth Sailing Championships are set to liven up the coming months. 7 events are scheduled from July to November, taking place all over France. The aim is to bring together, by age category, the best sailors from all regions. To kick things off, the French Minimes Championship will be held from July 8 to 13 on Lac d'Hourtin.
Record participation at the Azimut Challenge
From September 19 to 24, 2023, the Défi Azimut returns to Lorient Bay. This record edition will welcome over 35 IMOCA boats for a program of runs, offshore races and the famous Tour de l'île de Groix. With just one year to go to the Vendée Globe, the IMOCA line-up has never been so rich, with a third of the boats being brand-new and sailed by some of the world's best sailors. Samantha Davies, Yannick Bestaven, Thomas Ruyant, Clarisse Crémer, Jérémie Beyou, Franck Cammas and Charlie Dalin - winner of the last edition - are just some of the skippers expected to take part. As a reminder, in the first edition in 2011, only 5 boats were entered.
Italians win first stage of Les Sables Horta Les Sables
Alberto Bona and Pablo Santurde del Arco on IBSA won the first stage of the 9 e edition of Les Sables âeuros Horta âeuros Les Sables, at the end of a particularly intense race. They arrived at 9:30 pm Paris time on July 2 with a lead of 1h37 over their pursuers. Despite an alternator problem shortly before rounding Cape Finisterre, and strong competition, they managed to stay on course. They also beat the record for the greatest distance covered in 24 hours in a Class40 (430.47 miles).
A good start for La Trinité-Cowes by Actual
The start of La Trinité-Cowes by Actual, organized by the Société Nautique de La Trinité-sur-Mer (SNT), was given at 17:00 on July 2. The 89 crews set off for the 350-mile race in around 15 knots of wind. In the final rankings, in the Multi 2000 class, Calamity, Nordtrsom Kimmo's ORC 50, is ahead of Romain Pilliard on the Ultim Use it Again. In the IRC1 and IRC2 classes, Bryon Ehrhart's Lucky - ex Rambler - and Philippe Baetz's Musix won respectively. Finally, in IRC double-handed, Lann Ael 3, the Manuard design recently launched by Lalou Multi and skippered by Didier Gaudoux, took first place.
Start of the first stage of the Tour Voile
The first leg of the Tour Voile set off from Saint-Quay-Portrieux on Sunday, July 2. The 12 Figaro Beneteau 3s set off from Saint-Brieuc Bay at 5:12pm for a 165-mile course towards Brest. Conditions at the start were westerly north-westerly at 25 knots, before reaching a swell of almost 2 m on the approach to Bréhat. After the first 6 legs of the first week, the provisional overall ranking is led by Dunkerque Voile - Meurice Arthur and Alexandre Demange -, Marine Nationale - Phillipe Hartz and Pierre Leboucher - and Equipe Bretagne - Jeune Habitable with Paul Morvan and Yvon Larnicol. The crews now embark on leg 7 for a round-the-world trip around the island of Groix.
