Prime location!
The 11th Yacht Racing Forum is scheduled to be hosted at Lorient in Brittany in October 2018... right at the heart of modern ocean racing
They call it the ‘Sailing Valley’. It is the very heart of international offshore yacht racing in the south of Brittany, a part of France (from Brest down to Vannes) that focuses strategically and with strong political support on watersports. A dream location for anyone involved in sailing and yacht racing – the logical and perfect venue for the Yacht Racing Forum 2018 (22-23 October). Lorient is a natural shelter for sailors, while the rest of the area is a magical place of sandy beaches and jagged reefs, fortified port towns and standing stones. It is warmer than the wild north coast, but the traditions, independent spirit and seafood are just as good. Go to the bakery in Lorient and your chances of bumping into a host of offshore legends are high. Thomas Coville, Armel Le Cléac’h, François Gabart, Franck Cammas, Justine Mettraux, Francis Joyon, Jimmy Pahun and Jean-Pierre Dick live, train and develop their racing boats in the area, and most will be at the Yacht Racing Forum 2018. Brittany’s Sailing Valley earned its nickname due to the high number of companies involved in yacht racing that are located there: Multiplast, Lorima, NKE, GSEA, CDK,
Plastimo… Even North Sails are now 76 SEAHORSE
developing their new world R&D department in the Sailing Valley. There’s a huge economy centred around yacht racing here, with boatbuilders and designers, technical companies, sailmakers, riggers, yacht racing photographers and filmmakers, you name it… This year the Yacht Racing Forum will dedicate a third day – Wednesday 24 October – to a visit to some of these companies that have such an influence on our sport worldwide. In the late 1990s several skippers such as Alain Gautier and Franck Cammas settled in and around Lorient, taking advantage of the conversion of the former Keroman submarine base, which closed in 1997. Today the old base is entirely devoted to sailing and yacht racing and, with its modern and adapted infrastructure, it is the first of its kind in the world. Five out of seven Vendée Globe winners come from the Sailing Valley. Winner in 1993, Alain Gautier, was the first skipper to move to the harbour facility in Lorient when it opened in 1998. ‘The development of this area resulted from strong political leadership,’ he recalls. ‘Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was the socialist mayor of Lorient at the time [now
La Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly
incorporates a wide range of permanent and pop-up exhibitions and teaching resources dedicated to the heritage of offshore sailing and the oceans. Seen here in front of the former U-boat bases is the main museum which houses a vast range of sailing and nautical exhibits including multiple sailing
simulators, one of which will take you deep into the Southern Ocean onboard
an Ultim tri…
the French minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs], understood that the military and fishing industries were in decline and that yachting, and especially yacht racing, was a promising alternative. The space was perfect for raceboats: wide and deep. I moved in with my trimaran Brocéliandeand was soon followed by Groupama, Banque Populaire and many others. The industrial development took place in parallel and led to a fantastic, very powerful structure, supported by a local airport, a TGV [super-fast train] and a good road infrastructure. The entire area became a magnet. Like Le Mans for car racing.’ The quality of the site and the presence of specialised companies attracted other sailing teams. The city then developed an offshore sailing school (Pôle Course au Large) and the stunning Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly, a giant museum dedicated to the sport of sailing, opened in 2008. This is where the Yacht Racing Forum evening reception will be on 22 October, in the middle of the exhibits. The greatest teams from France as well as many international sailing teams are based here all year round to prepare for major competitions such as the Jules
YVAN ZEDDA
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