Gitana 11. Image copyright AFP.
Seb Josse. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Gitana SA.
by SailRaceWin
Further to information from Tour de Belle Ile media, Seb Josse's first race at the helm of Gitana 11 will be in the Tour de Belle Ile, Brittany, France, 7th May 2011.
Over 200 boats were entered in the fourth edition of this race on 31st March, and numbers have grown since this time.
Many names in French sailing will compete in the 44 nautical mile course. There will be an ORMA 60 (ex-Foncia), skippered by Alain Gautier, and both Lionel Lemonchois (Prince de Bretagne) and Franck-Yves Escoffier (Crepes Whaou!) will compete in the Multi50 class.
Barcelona World Race winner Jean-Pierre Dick will compete in the boat he has developed, the JP54. Arnaud Boissieres is competing in the IMOCA Akena Verandas.
The presence of many names and large boats does not belie the fact that this is the French equivalent of Britain's Round the Island Race, or the Swiss Bol d'Or, and the majority of participants are simply out for a day race in company, in a scenic setting, on their usual weekend sailing boat.
Gitana
Tour de Belle Ile
