VIDEO TV
|
Loïck Peyron has won seven times the Trophée Clairefontaine and is back this year to race his nineteenth trophée of twenty editions.
Photo by Jean-Marie Liot / SailingOne
La Grande Motte, Thursday 10 September - Stéphan Rossignol, Mayor of La Grande Motte and Jean-Marie Nusse (CEO of Les Papeteries de Clairefontaine), welcomed today at noon the eight champions and their crew of this twentieth Trophée Clairefontaine which will be held for the first time in this natural Sailing Stadium, on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th of September. Two training days are scheduled for the eight sailing stars. Free training sessions this afternoon and the Warm-up Rhodia tomorrow at 2.30pm, with eight legs scheduled in 120 minutes, are organised in order for all of them to rehearse for the official show starting on Saturday at 11.00am.
The four major French oceanic sailing stars are here. The quality of the show will be as highly expected for this twentieth edition. One more time, the only regatta in the world mixing sailors from the different sailing disciplines, on equal footing on a spectacular catamaran, will be full of suspense.
Pascal Bidégorry, invited at La Grande Motte for his swift Atlantic crossing (3 days 15 hours and 25 minutes) and the 24-hour record he demolished at the same time (908 nautical miles) at the helm of the maxi tri Banque Populaire V, arrived early this morning. Also arriving from Nantes, in the same plane, Loïck Peyron, seven-time winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine and third of the 2008 edition, arrived at La Grande Motte Yacht Club to take part in his nineteen trophée out of twenty organised.
Franck Cammas, our third tenor, former holder of the Atlantic crossing record onboard the giant tri Groupama 3 and double winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine, met the rest of the troop a bit later in the morning.
Our fourth tenor, Michel Desjoyeaux, crossed the finish line of the second leg of the Istanbul Europa Race at the helm of Foncia while the rest of the troop was arriving at La Grande Motte. With a second victory in the Vendée Globe this year, Michel Desjoyeaux could not say no to the challenge of a fifth Trophée Clairefontaine title to be added to his record of achievement.
The four tenors will be accompanied by a talented choir. Four skilled soloists who will certinly show what they are capable of.
On the Olympic sailing side, the most recent Tornado Gold medallist, Spaniard Fernando Echavarri, last summer%u2019s winner in China on his Olympic catamaran is here to make his premiere as vocalist at the Trophée Clairefontaine. Nicolas Charbonnier, invited last year in Spain for his Silver medal in 470 at the Beijing Olympic Games, and finished second of the trophée which was quite an achievement as he did not know the support at all. He is back this year with even more ambition to beat his last record.
Yann Eliès and his classmates from the Figaro Bénéteau Class: Nicolas Troussel, winner of La Solitaire du Figaro 2008 and Nicolas Bérenger, who lives in La Grande-Motte, are also here with lots of rhythm.
German Boris Herrmann, who won the first edition of the Portimão Global Ocean Race around-the-world race through the three capes onboard a Class40 racing yacht (12.20m), will discover this funny regatta of less than ten minutes which makes the Trophée Clairefontaine so different from other sailing competitions.
Media: Bénédicte Etienne: 33(0)6 87 30 12 83 and 33(0)6 03 94 34 44
Download press release PDF
RECENT PHOTOS
< Back
|
