Paris, Nautic the groups and regions take centre stage

The aisles of the Nautic Paris Boat Show have continued to buzz with activity since Friday and every day is tirelessly organised around a steady stream of press conferences, launches and other events. Particularly active, the groups and regions – Brittany in particular – have been taking centre stage this Tuesday. Other highlights of the day have included a visit from Frédéric Cuvillier, Minister of State for Transport, the Sea and Fisheries, the screening of the film “L’année de la Voile 2013” (The year of Sailing 2013) by the French Sailing Federation on the Nautic Stage, followed by an evening devoted to the equipment manufacturers.

Brittany honoured A team representing Brittany has gathered at the Nautic to present the region’s news, which boasts a wealth of new features and events and looks back at two emblematic anniversaries in its history! In this way, across an area spanning over 1,100m2, the marine network’s partners are exhibiting the latest new features from Breton businesses (yards, equipment suppliers…), the major events, the talent and the high technology of offshore racing, marine activities and the realisation of the first projects aimed at sustainable watersports. This Nautic boat show is also an opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Eric Tabarly’s victory in the Ostar and the 50th anniversary of the sea classes in Brittany with all the many visitors to the show. This group, reinforced for the third year running by Brest and Lorient in their partnership with the Nautic Café and a shared stand where they present their major nautical meets. Focus on the Brest Maritime Festival 2016 This morning, the Brest group unveiled the dates for the next international maritime festival “Brest 2016” through the voice of François Cuillandre, Mayor of Brest, President of Brest Métropole Océane and Brest Evénements Nautiques, with the presence of Laury Thilleman, Miss France 2011. The festival will run from 13 to 19 July 2016 and will be attended by the most beautiful boats in the world. Already signed up for the event are Eric Tabarly’s legendary Pen Duicks. It is worth noting that in 2012, the maritime festival gathered together some 715,000 visitors, 9,000 sailors from some 25 nations aboard 1,500 traditional yachts, with 300 exhibitors and over 700 journalists. What will tomorrow’s sails look like? For the Nautic boat show, the Pôle Mer Bretagne organised a “press café” this Tuesday at 1315 GMT focusing on innovations around sail propulsion on boats. Hosted by Philippe Kernéis, in charge of the “Naval, watersports” domain, the latter event notably gathered together Guilhem Blès (ENSTA Bretagne/Laboratoire LBMS), Stéphane Fauve (Incidences Technologies), Hervé Devaux (HDS) and Yves Parlier (Project Beyond the Sea). Together they demonstrated how sail propulsion on boats has greatly evolved over recent years, giving way to several types of innovations relating to both the fashioning/design of the sail and the development of analysis tools to improve performance on boats (integrated sensors, routing software, etc.) They also tackled the fact that beyond the boat’s performance, the technology linked to today’s sail propulsion is also perceived by working seamen (commercial, fishing, etc.) to be a solution to reducing energy consumption on vessels. As such, more economical, cleaner, safer and more intelligent boats are being used as a way forward by protagonists from the marine network, who are investing in research and innovation to continue their economic development, taking into account improvements in safety and respect for the environment. Industries and marine services: the trades which are recruiting Which are the trades recruiting in the domains of industry and marine services? This is the question the French Federation of Nautical Industries was replying to this afternoon on the Nautic Stage. Through a film and testimonies from employees and business managers, which included skipper Roland Jourdain, Eric Carret from the Institut Nautique de Bretagne and Catherine Le Goff, job training manager at the French Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN), visitors had the opportunity to discover those sectors which are recruiting, as well as the training on offer enabling them to access careers in the watersports industry. Tomorrow at 1500 GMT, they’ll be able to attend a ‘must see’ round table hosted by Loic Madeline, editor of Voile Magazine, on the theme of eco-design: “The organised, responsible marine industry”! Some remarkable yachts gracing the aisles of the Nautic Hall 1 at the Porte de Versailles has once again been transformed into a big, beautiful marine space where the new features from the major yards rub shoulders with fabulously stunning yachts and emblematic craft of yesterday and today, which make up the rich tapestry that is sailing. In this way, the Nautic is honouring Pen Duick II, Éric Tabarly’s first yacht, winner of the Ostar in 1964, which shone a spotlight on one of France’s greatest sailors and inspires so many of you to step aboard craft like the Muscadet, which is ‘bottled’ on the hard to celebrate her fiftieth anniversary. Doubtless the heir to the adventuring spirit and pugnacity of Éric Tabarly, we find exhibited in Hall 1 three craft from opposite extremes: Corentin de Chatelperron’s Gold of Bengal on the one side, Franck Cammas’ Groupama C and Hydros on the other. Gold Of Bengal, built from vegetable fibre, is synonymous with human adventure. Her skipper-come-designer lived aboard her entirely self-sufficiently for six months, covering 9,000 miles between Bangladesh and France! Meantime, Groupama C is the result of a fantastic amount of teamwork masterfully carried out by Franck Cammas and his team based in Lorient, which enabled them to secure a win in the Little America’s Cup. This craft is a catamaran equipped with a fixed wing sail and she is virtually airborne just above the surface of the water! The runner-up in this competition was Hydros (Swiss), which is also on display in Hall 1. Though it is true that the history of yachting is conveyed in the tales of these human and sporting adventures, it is also written in the design of some exceptional craft devoted to leisure activities. Several of these are on display at the show for the first time, including the fantastic Code 1 and Solaris. The Code 1 is a 12m weekender, made entirely of carbon and teak, with extremely simple lines and incredible modernity. She is a perfect demonstration of the expertise of the French marine industry and an example of taking the concept of short-cruising vessels to the limit. In a similar style, the Optio 39 from the Wauquiez yard and its adjustable cockpit offer a more reasonable but less elegant alternative. Solaris is another star of the show. Though she is a more classic yacht in terms of design and is in keeping with the large, fine racer-cruising craft, she is a force to be reckoned with in marine design with a chic, uncluttered deck that is extremely effective.

More rooted in practicality, IDB Marine is showcasing its new craft, the Malongo 888. She incorporates the key concept of the Breton yard by inserting a tender garage beneath her cockpit. This is an ingenious design that has proved tremendously successful amongst fans of coastal navigation and little anchorages. Finally, the unclassifiable Diam 24 OD trimaran is billed as the fun craft for big adolescents without hang-ups. Light and very powerful, her inverted bows, her carbon mast and appendages give her the look of an oceanic steed… And this certainly isn’t down to luck as her design is penned by the prestigious VPLP naval architect firm, father to the majority of racing multihulls, from Hydros to the trimarans from the Ultimate class, Spindrift 2 and the Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII, through to the MOD 70, whose family resemblance is unquestionable. And talking of racing, everyone is waiting with bated breath to discover the latest project involving Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauson, tomorrow, Wednesday, at 1400 GMT…