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Bol d’Or Mirabaud – the first European classic of the season
Cowes Week, Centomiglia (Lake Garda), the Blue Ribbon (Balaton) or the Barcolana (Trieste, Italy) share the same philosophy: they are big and popular events, yet they manage to attract some of yacht racing’s greatest names thanks to their prestige
These are among Europe’s biggest and most prestigious sailboat races… the Bol d’Or Mirabaud (500 boats), Cowes Week (1,000 boats), Round the Island (a record 1,908 boats in 2011), Hungary’s Blue Ribbon (550 boats), the Barcolana (1,968 boats in 2002) or Lake Garda’s Centomiglia (300 boats).
They share many things: they are open to true amateurs yet they attract some of the world’s best professionals, for most participants they represent a personal challenge and they all take place in beautiful surroundings. On 13 June the 77th edition of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud will be the first of those European classics, gathering a mixture of high-tech carbon multihulls skippered by professional sailors alongside true amateurs sailing on all sorts of boats, ranging from classic wooden designs to one-designs and cruising boats.
‘It’s what makes the beauty of this event,’ says Antonio Palma, CEO of Mirabaud & Cie SA, the event’s title sponsor, whose team won their class in last year’s event. ‘It is open to every sailor, no matter if he is competitive or not. I personally try to participate every year, onboard a 7.5m Surprise one- design; I always find it very special to be on the same starting line as some of the best sailors in the world. Ten minutes after the start they have already disappeared over the horizon, but we are still competing in the same race and that’s what makes it so special.’
Rodolphe Gautier, the new president of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud organising committee, is determined to further enhance this mix and also to make it more international.
6 SEAHORSE
‘There is a degree of tourism in yacht racing,’ he observes. ‘Some people put their boat on a trailer and are ready to drive 1,000km to discover a new race. I think it’s a great way to spend your holidays and to discover new sailing grounds, and I hope more people will follow the trend.’
Gautier accepted the role of president of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud under one condition: that he could still participate in the event. Skipper of the high-tech Ventilo M1 catamaran Safram(SUI 50), which won the 2013 Bol d’Or Mirabaud (then skippered by Jean-Philippe Bucher), he is determined to show the way. ‘After this summer’s Bol d’Or Mirabaud we will travel to Lake Balaton and then Lake Garda with Safram. I really look forward to competing in those events, and I hope that many others – with whatever boats – will do the same!’
Spindrift racing in the Tour de France – a good team-building exercise
Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their team Spindrift Racing will compete in this summer’s Tour de France à la Voile to enhance their competitiveness and keep working away on the water – a choice that might sound surprising considering the team’s intense programme (Jules Verne Trophy, defence of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, GC32 circuit…). Yann Guichard explains the reasons behind the decision. ‘The DM 24 platform (right) chosen for the Tour de France à la Voile is based on a pretty basic concept that is quite the opposite to today’s usual style, employing simple trimarans that still mainly sail on the central hull… no foils and no wings. However, I see many benefits in racing the TdF; first of
LORIS VON SIEBENTHAL
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