One month to start of the 1st CIC Med Channel Race

CIC Med Channel Race © Sirius Events

On Sunday 27 April at 13:00 hrs local time, the Class40 fleet will set sail from Marseille's southern bay on the brand-new CIC MED CHANNEL RACE.

Modelled on her larger established counterpart, the CIC Normandy Channel Race, this Mediterranean version has been created with the support of two founding partners, the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area and the CIC group.

An event with a fresh twist, skippers will enjoy a week-long 1,000-mile race over a demanding course that spans the South of France, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics. To date, some 13 crews have agreed to step up to the challenge that, like any Class40 event, boasts a combination of top-level professionals and seasoned amateurs. Locals will get the chance to meet the skippers from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April at the Mucem harbour basin and the Esplanade J4.

A novel event designed to develop offshore racing in the Mediterranean

Over the past few months, the inhabitants of Marseille and France as a whole have been thrilled by the exploits of the Vendée Globe skippers, some of them only just discovering the fascinating world of offshore racing. Indeed, alongside the technological performance posted by these high-tech sailboats capable of devouring hundreds of miles a day, the main appeal of this discipline for the public are the human aspects of the adventure, the daily battle against technical and weather-related adversity, the resilience required to achieve a goal and the constant need to push back the limits against the elements. It is these same qualities, which will be required by the skippers competing in the CIC MED CHANNEL RACE on what is a shorter but all the more intense course.

Setting out from the southern harbour beneath the gaze of the Madonna and Child watching over sailors and fishermen from atop the Notre Dame de la Garde basilica, it will be important for the skippers to give their all and be ready to respond to the hazards of a complex course combining coastal and offshore phases over a period known for its harsh weather conditions in the Mediterranean. The leading international offshore racing class alongside the 60 footers (18m) in the Vendée Globe, the 40-footer (12 m) series last year celebrated its 20th anniversary, during which time it has written a sizeable chapter in the history of offshore racing in the world's most prestigious races.

Debuting a high-quality competitive line-up

Combining professional and amateur skippers, the line-up in Marseille will shine a spotlight on what has made the Class40 so successful since its inception. The first category will be racing scow bow boats, which have undergone a technological revolution in recent years. Their skippers include Mediterranean sailor Mikaël Mergui on CENTRAKOR (No.183), Ian Lipinski, who will be making a special trip down from the Atlantic on CRÉDIT MUTUEL (No.158), winner of the Mini Transat and the race formerly known as the Transat Jacques Vabre, Laurent Camprubi on GLACES ROMANE (N0.179), the famous Freeride world champion Aurélien Ducroz (CROSSCALL No.166), as well as Edgard Vincens (No.148).

In the amateur category, most of whom race the classic 'sharp' bowed Class40s, is local skipper Mathieu Claveau (PRENDRE LA MER - AGIR POUR LA FORÊT No.89) sailing with Victoire Berger, prize-winner in the YOUNG WOMEN CONNEXION programme from the offshore racing stable MER CONNEXION, François Verdier and Pierre-Laurent GARNERO on PHENIX HA PLUSPME (No.142), Matthieu Foulquier Gazagnes with L'AGENCE TÉLÉCOM - SOTRAPLANT (No.157), Goulven Marie and QWANZA (No.98), Nicolas Toury on HYDRA-DECHOUX (No.149), German skipper Chris Kerl with AQUAMARIN (No.135) and, as part of a creditable reintegration project, RÊVE À PERTE DE VUE (No.32) will be sailed by the visually-impaired skipper Joël Paris. A 13th project, it too Atlantic-based, has signed up for the event, and the skipper will be revealed shortly. They will all be competing for a place in the overall ranking as well as a special 'sharp' ranking to highlight the performance of the oldest Class40s.

A wealth of tools to share the adventure

There are a multitude of ways to get up close and personal with the action. For starters, locals will be able to make direct contact with the boats and the teams at Mucem habour basin and Esplanade J4, where they can immerse themselves in the race atmosphere from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April. Thursday 24 April will be reserved for visits by schoolchildren and associations.

On the day of the start, on Sunday 27 April from 11:00 hours, competitors will leave the harbour basin at the entrance to the Vieux Port and make for the starting area in the southern harbour next to the Olympic marina. The official start will be at 13:00 hours and competitors will launch into a coastal course around the southern harbour, eastbound towards the first mark at the Golden Islands archipelago, where they must round the islands of Porquerolles and Le Levant.

For this debut edition, a significant media device has been organised with FRANCE 3 MEDITERRANÉE from Wednesday 23 April and through to the fleet's return to Marseille around 12 days later, the following Sunday. Indeed, the CIC MED CHANNEL RACE's minute round-up at 19:00 hours every evening will make it possible to catch up on all the latest news from the race with the day's images out on the water from across the whole of the southern basin, PACA (the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region), Corsica and the Languedoc-Roussillon region. LA PROVENCE group is also media partner to the event along with ICI Provence (radio - TV - digital).

For enthusiasts, the race website will offer tracking via cartography and satellite, with the competitors' positions being updated every 15'. The final tool is the famous VIRTUAL REGATTA game with its 1-million players in the Vendée Globe, which is organising a virtual race accessible to all and running concurrently with the real race www.virtualregatta.com.