Event
Outrider no more
It took no time at all for the spectacular Drheam Cup – a multi-course event for the world’s very fastest yachts – to make a quick upshift from new event to biennial ocean racing classic... and for good reason
The Drheam-Cup was founded in 2016 and has quickly become a key fixture in French sailing, so much so that the official name has now been changed to the “Drheam-Cup Grand Prix de France de Course au Large”. The race runs in every “even” year, whenever there is not a Rolex Fastnet Race, providing a convenient alternative for those seeking more races of this length in this part of the world.
The race starts in Cherbourg-en- Cotentin and finishes in La Trinité- sur-Mer. The Ultimes will race 1500 miles, the Imocas, Ocean 50s and Class 40s will race 1000 miles, and the short course for Figaro 3s, smaller multi-hulls and IRC yachts has been extended from 428 miles in previous editions to 600 miles from 2022 onwards based on competitor demand.
The race is the brainchild of Jacques Civilise, who learnt to sail in Cherbourg and currently lives close to La Trinite-sur-Mer. Jacques feels there are not many races in which all of the important offshore classes get
64 SEAHORSE
to race together. ‘I wanted to create an event that is as inclusive as possible as I think that diversity makes the whole event, on land and at sea, a lot more fun for everyone’, he says. So far it seems he has done a good job, as almost every type of offshore boat imaginable has been represented in previous editions. If a larger international IRC entry can be attracted by tweaks to the event format then it will be mission accomplished for Jacques. The 2022 event will be an official
“Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe” qualifier so a large proportion of the world’s fastest boats will be present to add to the spectacle. The 2020 edition saw 95 entries despite significant Covid related restrictions, and there is every reason to believe that number can be increased further as the world emerges from the pandemic and can once again savour sailing around the French coast during summer holidays. Promoting offshore sailing is a key strategy of the city of Cherbourg-en- Cotentin and its mayor Benoît Arrivé,
Above: Ultime trimarans
play a starring role in the Drheam Cup but the
unique spec- tacle of this increasingly popular event is that all classes start together at the same time on one very long line off Cherbourg. The Drheam Cup (the acronym of Developpe- ment des Relations Humaines et Applications Management) is a biennial event, held in non-Fastnet years
so competitors can expect a warm and friendly welcome. With the Drheam-Cup Grand Prix de France de Course au Large start and Fastnet arrival taking place on alternate years the city now has a major sailing event every year around which extensive onshore activities can be based. The race village opens on Wednesday 13 July and will really get going with Bastille Day fireworks and other festivities on Thursday 14 July, with concerts, crew dinners and other events also being planned. The organisers insist that a celebration of Bastille Day, of the scenic host regions, and of offshore sailing in general are the fundamental DNA of the event, so competitors can look forward to a great party as well as a great race. There is a 20-mile coastal race
prologue on Friday 15 July, during which competitors have the option to take some school children for a sail as part of the “Rêves de Large” (Dream Offshore) charitable initiative. The main event kicks off on Sunday 17 July, with all classes
THIERRY MARTINEZ
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