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Louis Vuitton Cup off to a flying start
The preliminary regatta for the America's Cup, the Louis Vuitton Cup, got underway on August 22 in Barcelona. The four scheduled races between the six teams took place in near-perfect conditions. Four teams registered a point after the first day of racing, but according to the event's rules, America's Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand leads the provisional standings, ahead of Switzerland's Alinghi Red Bull Racing in 2nd, NYYC American Magic in 3rd and Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in 4th. Britain's Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia and France's Orient Express Racing have yet to score any points, and occupy 5th and 6th positions respectively.
The performances of the new-generation AC75s on the first day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta were impressive, with speeds regularly approaching 50 knots. Racing continues this Friday, August 23, with four more races scheduled, and will continue until Sunday, August 25, when the event will conclude with a match race final between the top two teams.
700 youngsters ready for the French Espoirs Sailing Championship
From August 22 to 31, 700 young people between the ages of 14 and 25 will be taking part in the Championnat de France Espoirs de Voile in La Rochelle. From a sporting point of view, we can expect quite a spectacle at this Championship, which will be held in 2 parts. The Nacra 15, 15.5, SL 16, Open 570, 420, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7 and 29er will get the ball rolling from Friday afternoon, through to the final races, scheduled for Tuesday August 27. The crews of the Shared Habitable Fleet will take over from the following day until August 31. To kick off these 9 days of competition, the weather is expected to offer fairly steady conditions for the first few days, before slowing down towards the end of the calendar.
Primonial wins the Route des Terre-Neuvas
On Friday August 16, the 10 Ocean Fifty boats set off on the Route des Terre-Neuvas, a new race linking Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to Saint-Brieuc, in tribute to these extreme fishermen. On the program: 2,180 miles under the bows for the trios on each boat. Unfortunately for Luke Berry, skipper of the multihull Le Rire Médecin âeuros Lamotte, a leak on the starboard float was detected on August 18, forcing him to retreat to the Azores. The rest of the race was split into two groups, with Primonial, Viabilis Océans, Koesio, Solidaires En Peloton and Realites at the head of the fleet, followed a few hundred miles further on by Mon Bonnet Rose, Upwind by MerConcept, Inter Invest and Wind of Trust-Fondation pour l'Enfance. Primonial led by Sébastien Rogues, Jean-Baptise Gellee and Matthieu Souben won this first edition after crossing the finish line on 21/08/2024 at 22h 50mn 03s, in 5d 04h 40min 03s. 52 minutes 25 seconds after the arrival of winner Primonial, Viabilis Océans crossed the finish line in second place, 14 minutes 32 seconds ahead of Koesio.
French Youth Windfoil & Raceboard Championship launched in Quiberon
After the French Minimes Championship in July, 180 youngsters joined the ENVSN in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon for a whole week of Windfoil and Raceboard racing off the coast of La Teignouse. For the first time, the Raceboard and Windfoil championships merged into a single French Championship, bringing together the whole French windsurfing family. This week, 180 youngsters aged 14 to 25 from all over France will be competing for one of the 8 titles at stake: 4 in Windfoil (foil windsurfing) and 4 in Raceboard (drift windsurfing), divided according to age and gender. The conditions forecast throughout the week promise a fine French Championship, with a day of winds of up to 20 knots providing a great spectacle!
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez celebrates its 25th anniversary!
On September 28, some 250 boats - classic, modern or Maxi - will gather in the Tropez bay to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. This popular festival will feature yachts from 8 to 55 m, including Elena of London, the largest yacht entered at 55 m in length. The Classics include the oldest yacht in the fleet, Sky, a yawl built in England in 1890 by the Thetis Ware shipyard. There will also be recent Maxis, such as Capricorno, built entirely in carbon at King Marine last year.
Finistère Atlantique sets course for the Mediterranean
The start of the Finistère Atlantique - the 6th and final event produced by Ultim Sailing - is set for September 28. The biggest trimaran racers will crew from Concarneau to Antibes, replacing the original Atlantic loop. This 2,000-mile course will be one of the last rehearsals before the stand-by for winter record attempts. It will also be the preamble to a larger, recurring Mediterranean project for Ultims from spring 2026.
