Lower Normandy to host the SolOceans
Wednesday May 30th 2007 News RSS
At lunchtime today, in the Abbaye-aux-Dames, Philippe Duron, President of the Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie (President of the Regional Council of Lower Normandy) and Yvan Griboval, General Manager of SailingOne, designer and promoter of the SolOceans, signed an agreement to organize the SolOceans on the territory of the Lower Normandy Region, in the presence of Bernard Cazeneuve, first Vice-President in charge of the economic expansion and maritime policy of the Region, as well as Serge Even, President of the Ligue de Voile de Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy Sailing League), representing the Fédération Française de Voile (FFVoile - French Sailing Federation).
From left to right : Yvan Griboval, General Director and Designer - Promoter of the SolOceans and Philippe Duron, President of the Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie (President of the Regional Council of Lower Normandy).
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Photo Jean-Marie Liot - SailingOne
Lower Normandy will therefore be reinforcing the expansion of its sailing industry, carrying out the international promotion of its coastal strengths and developing its maritime legitimacy. Consequently, the start and finish of the SolOceans will be in Lower Normandy.
Let us recall that the SolOceans is the first single-handed oceanic round the world race to follow a France - New Zealand - France course. It will be sailed on equal footing on totally identical sixteen-metre high-tech Oceanic One Design monohulls. This class has been named Veolia Oceans® after the Main Sponsor of the SolOceans race, Veolia Environmental Services. The start of the first SolOceans is set for 25 October 2009. The SolOceans will then be run every two years. Beforehand, the first Veolia Oceans® will sail around the world for reconnaissance purposes, from October 2007 to March 2008.
The départements (counties), towns and suburbs, and harbours concerned by the prologue, as well as the start and finish of the SolOceans, will each be revealed in the weeks to come.
“The SolOceans will participate in our efforts to provide Lower Normandy with a new ambition”, says Philippe Duron. “Lower Normandy is an international gateway and this race, which will tour the world, will be its ambassador, since the challenges of tomorrow are world challenges. To be able to have a means of communicating with the whole world by welcoming sailors of several nationalities is of great importance. The human values conveyed by this oceanic race in which all the sportsmen and women will be on an equal footing is unifying for our territory and will send a strong message out to the world”.
“Thanks to the SolOceans the Lower Normandy sailing industry will be developed”, adds Bernard Cazeneuve. “It is coming into its own and becoming more organised. Employment has been created at both Caen and Cherbourg. Through the international media coverage of the SolOceans, we hope to encourage more professionals and sailors, both from France and abroad, to consider Lower Normandy as a multi-skilled centre of excellence in the sailing industry. It is then up to us to convince them to stay on on a long-term basis”.
“After studying the main opportunities offered on the French coasts of the Channel and the Atlantic for the prologue, start and finish of the SolOceans, our choice focussed on Lower Normandy, for three main reasons”, explains Yvan Griboval.
“The first reason is the spontaneous enthusiasm shown by Philippe Duron and Bernard Cazeneuve, when we presented them with our concept. Their desire to develop the sailing industry on all the Lower Normandy territory and our commitment to entrusting the essential production phases of the Veolia Oceans® one-design series to specialised companies on the start and finish sites of the SolOceans were also in accord”.
The Veolia Oceans® one-design is signed by the Finot-Conq and Associates Group, designer of the four last winners of the Vendée Globe, with technical advice from Michel Desjoyeaux. The Veolia Oceans® one-design carbon decks and hulls are being built by JMV Industries in Cherbourg. Each unit of the series will then be finished by SailingOne in collaboration with V1D2 in Caen. A large number of Lower Norman gear suppliers are also involved, such as Karver (deck fittings - Honfleur), Demolin (keel hydraulics - Caen) and Eric Semaine (Ouistreham), Nanni Diesel mechanical engineer, not to mention Nicolas Yvon, regional representative of North Sails France in Cherbourg.
“The second reason is the conjunction of two Lower Normandy strengths. These are its proximity to Ile-de-France, largest basin population in France and the largest national audience as far as sailing events are concerned”, reports Yvan Griboval “and its geographic location, that is to say, its proximity to international airports, on the one hand and to harbours frequented by famous British skippers, on the other”.
“The third reason is that, upon looking closer, the expansion of the sailing industry in Lower Normandy, perhaps more than elsewhere, is a true common denominator to the elected representatives of the major authorities of this territory: region, départements (counties) and large town and suburbs. To us, the organisers, this situation is a real guarantee of a long-lasting collaboration. Our dearest wish is to make the SolOceans race part of Lower Normandy's heritage, so that each and every Norman can eagerly appropriate this event and create with the sailors, the one-design Veolia Oceans® owners and all our partners, what will be, as time progresses, a fine sailor's story full of emotion”, concludes Yvan Griboval, whose offshore racing career (1975 - 1987) began in the stormy waters of the Baie de Seine (Bay of Seine) and of the East Channel.
A little earlier this morning, Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the Fédération Française de Voile (FFVoile - French Sailing Federation) stated enthusiastically “We are highly satisfied to see the SolOceans enter the Ligue de Voile de Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy Sailing League) programme. There is real legitimacy in this. The large harbours of the region, in particular Caen and Cherbourg, are reputed for their vitality and their skills in organising large sailing meetings. The solid support of the elected representatives of this region is an additional guarantee of quality. This announcement happens at a good time, since thanks to the work of the voluntary workers of the Ligue de Voile de Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy Sailing League) we are witnessing a boost in the activities of our clubs and our sailing schools. There is a lot of human and technical potential in Lower-Normandy. It is a traditional sailing region undergoing complete renewal. The SolOceans will therefore be an additional development factor”.
Let us recall that the SolOceans is the first single-handed oceanic round the world race to follow a France - New Zealand - France course. It will be sailed on equal footing on totally identical sixteen-metre high-tech Oceanic One Design monohulls. This class has been named Veolia Oceans® after the Main Sponsor of the SolOceans race, Veolia Environmental Services. The start of the first SolOceans is set for 25 October 2009. The SolOceans will then be run every two years. Beforehand, the first Veolia Oceans® will sail around the world for reconnaissance purposes, from October 2007 to March 2008.
The départements (counties), towns and suburbs, and harbours concerned by the prologue, as well as the start and finish of the SolOceans, will each be revealed in the weeks to come.
“The SolOceans will participate in our efforts to provide Lower Normandy with a new ambition”, says Philippe Duron. “Lower Normandy is an international gateway and this race, which will tour the world, will be its ambassador, since the challenges of tomorrow are world challenges. To be able to have a means of communicating with the whole world by welcoming sailors of several nationalities is of great importance. The human values conveyed by this oceanic race in which all the sportsmen and women will be on an equal footing is unifying for our territory and will send a strong message out to the world”.
“Thanks to the SolOceans the Lower Normandy sailing industry will be developed”, adds Bernard Cazeneuve. “It is coming into its own and becoming more organised. Employment has been created at both Caen and Cherbourg. Through the international media coverage of the SolOceans, we hope to encourage more professionals and sailors, both from France and abroad, to consider Lower Normandy as a multi-skilled centre of excellence in the sailing industry. It is then up to us to convince them to stay on on a long-term basis”.
“After studying the main opportunities offered on the French coasts of the Channel and the Atlantic for the prologue, start and finish of the SolOceans, our choice focussed on Lower Normandy, for three main reasons”, explains Yvan Griboval.
“The first reason is the spontaneous enthusiasm shown by Philippe Duron and Bernard Cazeneuve, when we presented them with our concept. Their desire to develop the sailing industry on all the Lower Normandy territory and our commitment to entrusting the essential production phases of the Veolia Oceans® one-design series to specialised companies on the start and finish sites of the SolOceans were also in accord”.
The Veolia Oceans® one-design is signed by the Finot-Conq and Associates Group, designer of the four last winners of the Vendée Globe, with technical advice from Michel Desjoyeaux. The Veolia Oceans® one-design carbon decks and hulls are being built by JMV Industries in Cherbourg. Each unit of the series will then be finished by SailingOne in collaboration with V1D2 in Caen. A large number of Lower Norman gear suppliers are also involved, such as Karver (deck fittings - Honfleur), Demolin (keel hydraulics - Caen) and Eric Semaine (Ouistreham), Nanni Diesel mechanical engineer, not to mention Nicolas Yvon, regional representative of North Sails France in Cherbourg.
“The second reason is the conjunction of two Lower Normandy strengths. These are its proximity to Ile-de-France, largest basin population in France and the largest national audience as far as sailing events are concerned”, reports Yvan Griboval “and its geographic location, that is to say, its proximity to international airports, on the one hand and to harbours frequented by famous British skippers, on the other”.
“The third reason is that, upon looking closer, the expansion of the sailing industry in Lower Normandy, perhaps more than elsewhere, is a true common denominator to the elected representatives of the major authorities of this territory: region, départements (counties) and large town and suburbs. To us, the organisers, this situation is a real guarantee of a long-lasting collaboration. Our dearest wish is to make the SolOceans race part of Lower Normandy's heritage, so that each and every Norman can eagerly appropriate this event and create with the sailors, the one-design Veolia Oceans® owners and all our partners, what will be, as time progresses, a fine sailor's story full of emotion”, concludes Yvan Griboval, whose offshore racing career (1975 - 1987) began in the stormy waters of the Baie de Seine (Bay of Seine) and of the East Channel.
A little earlier this morning, Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the Fédération Française de Voile (FFVoile - French Sailing Federation) stated enthusiastically “We are highly satisfied to see the SolOceans enter the Ligue de Voile de Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy Sailing League) programme. There is real legitimacy in this. The large harbours of the region, in particular Caen and Cherbourg, are reputed for their vitality and their skills in organising large sailing meetings. The solid support of the elected representatives of this region is an additional guarantee of quality. This announcement happens at a good time, since thanks to the work of the voluntary workers of the Ligue de Voile de Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy Sailing League) we are witnessing a boost in the activities of our clubs and our sailing schools. There is a lot of human and technical potential in Lower-Normandy. It is a traditional sailing region undergoing complete renewal. The SolOceans will therefore be an additional development factor”.
Previous headlines
- Bostik at 25 knots in the bay of Quiberon - Friday September 5th 2008
- Bostik at La Trinité-sur-Mer waiting for the gale - Thursday September 4th 2008
- Bostik heading towards La Trinité-sur-Mer - Thursday August 28th 2008
- Bostik is back in Cherbourg - Monday August 11th 2008
- Bostik has left New York City for Cherbourg - Wednesday July 30th 2008
- The second Veolia Oceans® one-design is built - Thursday July 24th 2008
- Bostik is arrived in United States - Monday July 21st 2008
- Bostik expected in New York City around July 23rd - Tuesday July 15th 2008
- Bostik heading west in a strong breeze - Monday July 7th 2008
- Bostik from Cherbourg to New York City - Friday July 4th 2008
- Bostik 1,700 nautical miles in Northern Europe - Wednesday July 2nd 2008
- Bostik is sailing in Northern Europe - Monday June 23rd 2008
- Promotion of the SolOceans in Northern Europe and in the United States - Monday June 2nd 2008
- International Media Coverage of the SolOceans on Eurosport - Friday May 23rd 2008
- Bostik back in Europe - Friday May 16th 2008
- Too many icebergs to round Cape Horn - Monday March 10th 2008
- Bostik arrived safe and sound at Wellington in New Zealand - Friday March 7th 2008
- Bostik at the end of the week in Wellington - New Zealand - Tuesday March 4th 2008
- Bostik still faster towards Wellington - Tuesday February 26th 2008
- This time, Bostik got to the heart of the matter! - Tuesday February 19th 2008
- Charles Caudrelier and Liz Wardley double-handed in the Indian Ocean - Tuesday February 12th 2008
- Bostik extends its stopover in Cape Town - Monday February 4th 2008
- Bostik from Lisbon to Cape Town at 13.15 knots on average - Thursday January 24th 2008
- Bostik is heading south on the Solocean’s course - Thursday January 3rd 2008
- Bostik put in for a week in Portugal - Friday December 21st 2007
- Bostik on its way to Wellington in New Zealand - Sunday December 16th 2007
- Bostik will leave Caen for Wellington (NZ) on Sunday - Thursday December 13th 2007
- Rendez-vous with Eurosport in 59 countries - Wednesday December 12th 2007
- Bostik christened by Catherine Chabaud in Caen - Saturday December 8th 2007
- Charles Caudrelier Around the World with Bostik - Tuesday December 4th 2007
- The Entry List for the SolOceans is now Open - Friday November 30th 2007
- Start of the round the world Reconnaissance Tour in Caen la mer - Monday November 26th 2007
- Veolia Oceans® sail tests under the breeze - Tuesday November 20th 2007
- Prologue and Arrival of the SolOceans in Cherbourg-Octeville - Saturday October 27th 2007
- Launching of the first Veolia Oceans® - Wednesday October 24th 2007
- The SolOceans stopover will be Wellington, the capital of New Zealand - Friday October 5th 2007
- First Veolia Oceans® deck in Caen - Wednesday September 26th 2007
- Eurosport Events enters the capital of SailingOne - Tuesday August 28th 2007
- The first Veolia Oceans® one-design leaves the mould - Thursday August 2nd 2007
- Construction of the first Veolia Oceans® one-design - Thursday June 14th 2007
- Lower Normandy to host the SolOceans - Wednesday May 30th 2007
- SolOceans Takes on Board Eurosport Events - Friday May 25th 2007
- SolOceans media alert - Thursday May 24th 2007
- The deck of the Veolia Oceans® monohull begins to take form - Wednesday April 25th 2007
- Veolia Oceans® Assembly and Maintenance in Caen - Thursday April 12th 2007
- Veolia Oceans® to be built in Normandy - Thursday March 15th 2007
- Veolia - Main Sponsor of the SolOceans - Wednesday March 7th 2007
- The SolOceans has a Main Sponsor - Monday January 29th 2007
- OceanoScientific® Programme for the SolOceans - Wednesday November 29th 2006
- Answers to current questions - Wednesday November 22nd 2006
- The Oceanic One Design® takes shape - Wednesday November 15th 2006
- Three years before the start of the SolOceans - Wednesday October 25th 2006
- Construction of the Oceanic One Design® boats of the SolOceans - Monday September 11th 2006
- Right on time - Tuesday July 25th 2006
- Launch of the SolOceans - Thursday June 15th 2006
