With today’s
launch of the definitive version of the event website (www.marseille-j80worlds2013.com),
the publication of the Notice of Race and the opening of registration,
preparations for the J80 Worlds 2013 have taken a giant leap forward.
The J80 Worlds
will be held in Marseille from 6 to 13 July next year and it is already shaping
up to be one of the major sailing events of 2013 across France and Europe.
In the build-up
to the event, the record 81 entries taking part in the 2012 NATIONALS, who kick
into action tomorrow in Douarnenez, Brittany, certainly won’t deny the wealth
of enthusiasm the series’ specialists have for this major J 80 meeting in 2013.
Indeed, the last
Worlds to be held in France were hosted in La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany, back
in 2007 with 124 participants; a record beaten in 2009 in Santander, Spain,
with 131 boats taking the start. The 2012 Worlds were held in Dartmouth in the
UK.
For 2013, this
global event must endeavour to honour the tremendous development of this class
worldwide and in Europe and France in particular, as the series has stood out
for some 10 years now as the most popular racer-cruiser on both the racing and
sailing school circuits.
In this way, the
French Cup gathers together nearly 200 boats over its ten or so national events
and is France’s most successful one-design circuit.
The perfect boat
for racing, sailing schools and cruising, the dynamism of the class under its
sole President, Ludovic Gilet, and the shortness of breath of the other series,
go a long way to explaining the boat’s dominance in France.
As such, the
Marseille Worlds must embody the class’ approach thus far, whilst placing an
emphasis on developing the series in the Mediterranean and in Marseille, where
local activity is in the process of receiving a boost.
It cannot be
denied that Marseille will provide an exceptional setting for this exceptional
event. The second largest city in France and a wide-open gateway onto the
Mediterranean, this cosmopolitan city will give the event international
influence. Furthermore, Marseille will be the European Capital of Culture in
2013 so the density of the city’s event organisation will make the J 80 Worlds
all the more intense.
120 to 150 boats
are expected into the Roucas Blanc Stade Nautique (Marine Stadium), which lies
just a few metres from the beaches of Le Prado and right next to the beautiful
race zone in Marseille’s southern harbour.
All the
necessary logistical means to deal with July’s influx in Marseille will be
arranged with the assistance of the teams in charge of the city’s marine
events. In this way, during the week of competition, the Roucas Blanc port and
site will be entirely dedicated to the event, with temporary pontoons installed
according to needs, with private parking nearby, the storage of trailers at a
protected outdoor site and a partnership with the Accor group to satisfy
accommodation requests.
After the period
set aside for welcoming the boats from Friday 5 to the evening of Sunday 7
July, Monday 8 July will see the launch of the event with a training race and a
large marine parade to get the locals involved in the event.
The races
themselves will be spread over 3 daily races from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13
July. The on-the-water organisation will be relying on the Fédération Française
de Voile (French Sailing Federation), who will in turn be supported by the
teams drummed up by the main local sailing clubs, who have a vast experience of
major sailing events.
The intensity of
the on-the-water competition will be mirrored by a packed programme of
entertainment on shore, to make the week-long stay in Marseille a relaxed
celebration for the crews in the Roucas Blanc race village. The programme will
kick off with an opening soirée on Monday 8 July, a nightly prize-giving with
entertainment in the large marquee pitched alongside the boats and a sumptuous
skippers’ supper on Friday 12 July. All that, for the price of an inscription!
At the behest of
Didier Réault, the City of Marseille, the event’s main partner, certainly has
all the necessary ingredients to make the WORLDS an unforgettable moment. At
least 30 nations are expect to attend, though requests from overseas crews are
positively flooding in with several American crews already organising transport
of their J 80s to Marseille…
Finally, for the
French crews, the main competitive aim of these Worlds will be to try to bring
an end to the Spanish domination, with no less than 3 such crews on the 2012
podium in Dartmouth; the current titleholder being Jose Maria Van Der Ploeg on
NILFISK.
Contacts:
Sirius
Evénements: contact@sirius-events.com
Website: www.marseille-j80worlds2013.com |