Champions everywhere were honoured today at the Nautic in Paris. Indeed, a number of France’s world titleholders and future representatives for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 were gathered together at the Porte de Versailles. This obviously delighted visitors, who got a chance to meet and chat with them prior to the French Sailing Federation’s Champions’ night and the revealing of the Sailor of the Year 2015. However, the athletes were not the only ones to draw in the general public. Indeed, this Monday, Moteur Boat and Voile Magazine awarded their prizes for motor boat and yacht of the year 2016. The wealth of little jewels, champions of a leading industry, can be discovered at the Porte de Versailles through until Sunday.
A host of world champions at the Nautic
Today, visitors to the Nautic got the chance to meet a number of world champions from Olympic sailing and funboarding in the show’s aisles and more especially on the French Sailing Federation’s stand. Antoine Albeau, World Champion 2015 in slalom (23rd title!) and Pierre Mortefon, world number two in the discipline, were notable stars. The same was true for Pierre Le Coq, World RS:X Champion, Jonathan Lobert (Finn) Sarah Steyaert and Aude Compan (49er FX), all France’s future representatives at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. Several other members of the French Team were also alongside them: Stéphane Christidis then Julien D’Ortoloi and Noé Delpech (49er), Alice Arutkin (Funboard) as well as Sofian Bouvet and Jérémie Mion (470).
Prize-giving by Moteur Boat and Voile Magazine
This Monday, Moteur Boat Magazine and Voile Magazine, the Larivière group’s two titles, awarded their prizes for the motor boat and yacht of the year 2016, elected by juries made up of both professional and reader-testers.
The prize for the best yacht was awarded to the Ikone 7.5. Hot out of the Espace Vag yard, this Julien Marin design benefits from the experience gleaned with the Ikone and the Ikone J (over 150 yachts made so far). She retains all the assets of her predecessors: simplicity, safety, comfort and conviviality over her 7.5m length and she boasts the performance of a proper cruiser… She fulfils the remit of a coastal cruiser for 2 or 4 people over several days. Her key features? Her very large cockpit and stunning performance on every point of sail and her cat-boat rig. With her forward-mounted mast she boasts impressive space in her bright cabin. A real favourite, innovative, practical and accessible, she is a symbol of the expertise amassed by the small Breton yards.
With regards to the motor boat category, five craft received awards in five categories:
Inflatables: Prince 30 CC Nuova Jolly. Highly successful aesthetically and equipped with a comfortable and efficient hull beneath the waterline, this boat has what it takes to satisfy even the most demanding sailors.
DayBoats: the Bénéteau Flyer 7.7 Spacedeck. This latest model is propelled by 300hp, split between two engines, and is superbly seaworthy thanks to her patented Airstep hull below the waterline and a living space worthy of an American bow-rider.
DayCruisers: the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5 WA Series 2. Here the famous range offers a fun experience that is real value for money and hard to beat: she boasts a M. Peters design hull and a spacious cabin and cockpit.
Cabin cruisers: the Parker 750 Cabin Cruiser stands out through her sporty design as well as the great versatility of her layout and her sea handling.
Cruisers: the Rhea Marine 30 Evolution is set apart from the range’s other craft through her warm, modern interior, her spacious forward cabin and a saloon that can be transformed into a double bunk.
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede off to conquer the Golden Globe in 2018
On 14 June 2018, the Golden Globe will set sail once more, 50 years on from her creation, with her pioneering spirit intact. Those permitted to take the start must rank among a precise list of series yachts measuring a maximum of 11 metres in length with a long keel and competitors will have the same means at their disposal as they did half a century ago: no electronics, no computer, no automatic pilot, no GPS, no grib files, no carbon, no Spectra, with everything done using a sextant and dead reckoning. The only concessions to ‘modernity’ are positioning beacons and a satellite phone, which can only be used to contact race management for media purposes. A return to the very essence of traditional sailing, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede could not fail to be enticed. There will be a maximum of 30 boats at the start and the famous sailor is delighted to have the chance to be amongst them. With some five solo round the worlds to his credit, including four in race configuration, all resulting in a podium place, and a record circumnavigation against the winds and tides, which he has held since 2004, the sailor has the perfect profile for such an adventure. At 70 years of age and in the peak of fitness, the experienced sailor has a deep-seated passion to get back to his roots.
Curioseaty, the European route to heritage
This afternoon, at the Nautic Café, Bernard Faucon, President of the European Federation of Marine Tourist Destinations presented the Curioseaty project, which is also supported by France Station Nautique. Enjoying the support of the European Commission the latter aims to structure an itinerary around the discovery of Europe’s cultural, maritime and subaquatic heritage. Several countries are involved in the project that notably includes Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Croatia. The idea is to create and develop a European route for marine tourism with an exceptional cultural heritage coloured by ancient and contemporary European maritime civilisations. This project shall eventually contribute to building a common maritime culture among the citizens of Europe, establishing new uses and influencing touristic consumer habits. It’s a project worth keeping an eye on.
Election of the Sailor of the Year 2015 this evening
This evening, during the Soirée des Champions (Champions’ Night) centre stage at the Nautic in Paris, the French Sailing Federation will award the Sailor of the Year prize 2015. It is the President of the jury, singer Nolwenn Leroy, who will announce the person who will succeed Loïck Peyron, elected in 2014. The six nominees? The Billy Besson – Marie Riou duo (Nacra 17), Pierre Le Coq (RS:X), François Gabart and Pascal Bidégorry (Ultime), Vincent Riou and Sébastien Col (IMOCA), Antoine Albeau (Funboard) and Damien Seguin (2.4). She will also reveal the name of the best Espoir de l’Année (the year’s top hope) – Ouest-France – Voiles & Voiliers prize out of five candidates: Robin Follin and crew made up of Emeric Michel, Gaulthier Germain and Marine Boudot (SB 20), Sébastien Simon (Figaro Bénéteau), Le Dispositif Bleuets from the FFVoile, Charles Dorange and Louis Flament (SL 16) then Quentin Delapierre, Matthieu Salomon and their crew (Diam 24). Verdict at around 19:00hrs local time.
The power catamaran, a growth niche
France is the leader of the catamaran market with the Lagoon, Fountaine-Pajot, Catana/Bali, Outremer and Nautitech yards. Stable, habitable and comfortable, the delights of sailing on two hulls are becoming increasingly popular, among both senior sailors and debutants. In this growth market, where export is bordering on 70%, sailing catamarans have been monopolising French production for a long time. As such, we can bank on the appeal of the power catamaran, which is still an underestimated growth sector. “We started out from scratch two years ago. Since then, our Lagoon Power 630 and 40 have represented 8 to 10% of our turnover”, explains Yann Masselot, Bordeaux’ Lagoon Director (Bénéteau group). Based in La Rochelle, Fountaine-Pajot, which understood the potential very early on, is offering a genuine two-hulled motor yacht range of between 37 and 55-foot. The brand new MY 37, an imposing presence in hall 4 of the Nautic, has enjoyed resounding commercial success. “We already have 35 orders for this boat launched back in the spring, 8 out of 10 of which are for France. The level of sales is reminiscent of those for our sailing catamarans,” says a jubilant Stéven Guédeu, Commercial Director at Fountaine-Pajot. The motor boat share today equates to a little less than 15% of the production in La Rochelle and is set to double over the coming years. Particularly attractive prospects then, which the sector’s other protagonists are very much hoping to get a piece of, including Catana with its Bali Power 4.3 and Nautitech/Bavaria with their Power Cat 46. In addition to the space and stability, power catamarans have a key asset: they consume on average 40% less fuel than launches of an equivalent size!
