Gitana 11 - Holder of the Course Record from 2011. Image copyright Tour de Belle-Ile/Christophe Launay.
by Léa Launay in translation by SailRaceWin
The Tour de
Belle-Ile is in just a month’s time! Amongst the hundreds of participants there
will be celebrities of French sailing: Prince de Bretagne, Gitana 11 and the
MOD70 Spindrift Racing. Further, Land Rover France has become a new partner of
the Tour de Belle-Ile. And for those who are impatient, the last edition can be
re-lived through images in the book out this week.
At present
there are 258 boats entered – more than at this time last year. There were 486
boats in 2011, 504 in 2012 and will it be 550 in 2013?
Battle of the Giants
Amongst the
most faithful, one finds Sébastien Josse on Gitana 11, who will try to make the
triple, after winning in 2011 and 2012, and perhaps also beat his own record of
2 hours and 42 minutes for the 42 mile course of the Tour de Belle-Ile. He can
count on Lionel Lemonchois and his giant Prince de Bretagne, and the MOD
Spindrift Racing of Yann Guichard, which boats he will come up against in
Gitana 11 for the first time on this course.
… and also
We also
welcome Arnaud Boissières, 8th in the last Vendée Globe on Akéna Vérandas, and
the 60 footer Sensation Ocean of Alain Gautier. In regard to the classes, there
are strong entries from the First 31.7, Multi 2000, Grand Surprise and Pogo
8.50. The yawl Rose Noire II, Oriole and France 1 (a former America’s Cup boat,
recently renovated) are rivals in the “classic” category and for beauty towards
winning the prize of “Yachting Classique”.
Land Rover France – New Partner
On the
occasion of the sixth edition of the Tour de Belle Ile, Land Rover France
approached the marketing agency Eol to take its first steps in the sailing
world. “Land Rover is delighted to be associated with the sixth edition of the
Tour de Belle-Ile. With the versatility of our vehicles, our brand is well
suited to the sailing world. Adventure and conviviality, which lie at the heart
of the Land Rover brand are the fundamental points which we share with the sport,
synonymous with courage and escapism” explained Marc Luini, Executive Director
of Land Rover France.
Tour de Belle-Ile: the book
Each
edition of the Tour de Belle-Ile brings magical photos. The book contains
photos and testaments from professional and amateur skippers, with a preface by
the sailor Jean-Pierre Dick. The book “Tour de Belle-Ile 2012” is available by
emailing contact@tourdebelleile.com
> Winner in 2012 : Sébastien Josse on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild in 4h48min10sec
> Holder of the Race Record : Sébastien Josse on Gitana 11 in 2h42min (Tour de Belle-Ile 2011)
Tour de Belle-Ile
