2011 Racing Partners

THE EDHEC CUP

Organised by some fifty students from French business school EDHEC (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales), parallel to their studies, the EDHEC Cup is recognised as the number one student sporting event in Europe. This sporting competition brings together 3,000 French and international students every spring and welcomes more than 1,000 visitors to its 12,000 m² village. The EDHEC Cup celebrated its 43rd anniversary this year at the Eric Tabarly Sailing Centre in Lorient.

THE PAIMPOL SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL

A port in celebration, with music, conviviality, boats and 130,000 visitors

Braving rocks and blows of tobacco, the Sea Shanty Festival continues to plot its course, today dashing toward its tenth year. After the northern seas, the shores of the Mediterranean, the countries of Eastern Europe, Africa and the Americas, the theme for 2011 is “Celtic Ports of Call”: plenty of sunny music, brass bands, bagadoù, exhibitions, tasting of local products and close to three hundred traditional boats.

FETE DU NAUTISME: THE NATIONAL ‘GET AFLOAT’ WEEKEND

For 12 years now, on the occasion the Fête du Nautism in May, France has been taking to the water. More than 500 sites located throughout the territory--at the seaside, in town centres, in the mountains, in the countryside--are mobilised to introduce the general public, free of charge, to the joys of boating. A varied programme is on offer to the public: paddleboarding for beginners, schooner trips, whitewater canoeing, take your first scuba dive...

GUYADER GRAND PRIX

The Guyader Grand Prix is a competition that takes place in the Bay of Douarnenez. It combines speed and sensations featured with Multi 50, 60-foot Imoca and Class 40 dashing on runs in pursuit of record time.
Meanwhile, windsurfers and kitesurfers are challenging large off-shore racers to sprints, outside the Port of Rosmeur. This year Nautic - Salon Nautique International de Paris will be a partner of the Défi Nautic (a sprint) to be held the weekend of April 30th.

SOLITAIRE DU FIGARO

The Solitaire du Figaro has existed for 40 years and trained the greatest names in French ocean racing, many of whom do not hesitate to return to race again.
The course of the La Solitaire always calls at three ports along the French coast (Normandy, Brittany and Vendée) and includes 2 stages abroad (Spain, Ireland or England), each stage lasts between 2 and 4 days. The one-design character of the race, the presence of the greatest solo yachtsmen and the opening up of the race to amateurs makes it one of the most popular competitive sailing races in Europe. La Solitaire has seen the birth of the greatest champions in ocean racing.

LE DEFI DE LA BAULE

The Défi La Baule was initially organised around a long-distance boat race open to all “non-motorised” vessels. For the 2nd challenge, the event is expanding by opening up to “freestyle sports” demonstrations and competitions. Live-aboard craft, catamarans, windsurf, kitesurf, kayaks, pirogues, SUP will all be gathered together for the same event in a friendly and sporting atmosphere.

MONDIAL DU VENT: KITESURFING & WINSURFING

The Leucate gathering has become the number one event in kitesurfing and windsurfing in France and has established itself as an international reference in these disciplines.
Performance guaranteed, the Mondial du Vent is an opportunity to meet the best sportsmen on the planet in disciplines as spectacular as kitesurfing and windsurfing.
The Mondial du Vent which takes place in late April offers countless demo stands as well as many opprtunities in its village for young and old to try these sports for the first time.

NAISH FRANCE

In 2010 Naish France launched the concept NAISH SUP TOUR Surf in the City, promoting Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) on flat water, in urban areas. A Tour de France in 4 stages combining medium and long distance races for sportsmen already won over by SUP and anyone else tempted to try. The 2010 TOUR brought together sportsmen from all backgrounds and awarded the winners, both men and women. For 2011 the event is being held in Paris, in La Torche, Marseille and Bordeaux.

OLERON ISLAND STAND UP PADDLE CHALLENGE

For the first edition in 2011, from 2 - 3 July, the Ile d’Oléron was the site of this one-of-a-kind stand-up paddleboarding challenge. Its name: the Oleron Island SUP. A race that takes prominent competitors from St Denis d’Oléron to Fort Louvois, passing the famous Fort Boyard along the way,…
It is a course in the best tradition of the great Hawaiian crossings with the high point of the event undoubtedly being the 30 km race at sea.

PRIX YACHT DE TRADITION DE L’ANNEE: TRADITIONAL YACHT OF THE YEAR

For the third consecutive year, from May to October, the magazine Les Echos Série Limitée is going to award the sailboat that best honours the values of classic yachting. Pitting the finest boats against each other, the Prix du Yacht de Tradition will be awarded to the winning boat, during a ceremony at the Salon Nautique International de Paris. It will be selected by a national panel of judges at the conclusion of a selection made on the occasion of regattas and gatherings held in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

FRENCH OLYMPIC WEEK

Formerly commonly known as “SOF”, the French Olympic Week became the ISAF Sailing World Cup in 2009. It is the European meeting of the world’s sailing elite. Organised by the Fédération Française de Voile with the technical, logistic and financial support of the town of Hyères and Toulon Provence Mediterranean, this international event is celebrating its 43 years history. The participants are mostly members of their national Olympic sailing team.

SPI OUEST FRANCE

Since 1878, the popularity of the SPI OUEST FRANCE has steadily increased, attracting not only more and more professionals but amateurs too. The regatta, which takes place in the Bay of Quiberon (Morbihan) gathers close to 500 boats each year.
Beyond the importance of the number of registrants, with more than 10 European nations usually represented in the Spi Ouest France-Intermarché, the event deserves more than ever its title of largest gathering of live-aboard sailing vessels in Europe.

TOUR DE FRANCE A LA VOILE

The 34th Tour de France à la Voile, the yacht race round the coast of France that annual links the North Sea to the Côte d'Azur during the month of July. A dozen stages are planned in French seaside resorts and one of them in Belgium. Some fifteen crews take the starting line in Dunkirk for a month-long race along a technical course.

TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE

After eighteen years, the Transat Jacques Vabre has found its rhythm and format, won over the racers and excited the public, confirmed its merits and partners. The original idea was simple: a great race has its roots in an historical itinerary. Like a good cup of coffee, a race is a perfect blend of tastes, vintages, and aroma.

LA BAULE YACHT CLUB

La Baule Yacht Club, a sailing club and event organiser, is in partnership with Nautic – Salon Nautique de Paris on the occasion of three big races held in La Baule. The Derby Dragon in June, the Voiles de Légende, a challenge in July for classic yachts, and the Derby Kite Surf in September dedicated to kitesurfing 100%, a well-known competition in the kitesurfing circles.