Paris, Team France unveiled as the kids step aboard the Nautic!
This Wednesday at the Nautic Paris Boat Show, the most striking element of the day was unquestionably the presentation of the Team France project on the stand for the French Nautical Industries Federation, in the presence of Franck Cammas, Olivier de Kersauson and Michel Desjoyeaux. However, the three sailors weren’t the only ones to be honoured today as the children were also out in force in the aisles of the show for the 50th anniversary of the sea classes. All of them had a chance to discover the wealth of entertainment that the Porte de Versailles has in store for them this week.
Presentation of the Team France Project The announcement of the Team France project was eagerly awaited and logically it drew in a huge crowd around the FIN (French Nautical Industries Federation) stand this afternoon. Among Bruno Bich, President of the Board of Directors at the Bic Group, Thierry Martel, Managing Director of Groupama, Bertrand Meheut, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Canal+ group, Stéphane Kandler, Team France, Yves Lagane, President of the Yacht Club de France and Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the French Sailing Federation, sailors Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauson, who have joined forces for the better and for excellence, revealed their aim: to enlist a French team in the 35th edition of the America’s Cup. The target is a perennial team, capable of securing a win. As such the three men presented the architecture behind Team France and the main principles they have agreed on. To put it plainly, the design, which will be drawn up in the upcoming months, is something they’ve been working on since last January. It is both a sporting and an economic project. It is a project gathering together the general public around an event of global proportions, as well as developing a crewed sailing network, where the America’s Cup is inevitably the grand finale, but whose long-term vision is more ambitious. Franck Cammas: “I’m proud to present this new project, which I hope will take us far. A year ago to the day, here at the Nautic, I announced my aim to participate in the America’s Cup. Since then my project has matured. To take up this challenge, it is obvious that we need to bring each person’s strengths into play. This is why I have gathered Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauson around me. Between the three of us, we have had to build ten or so boats and sail all the oceans of the globe. Our wish is for a perennial team that is capable of winning. We want to be in a position to pull off a performance worthy of this name. The multihull is a form of sailing that we’re very familiar with in France. Of course the America’s Cup is the toughest yacht race in the world to win, but we have the skills and we very much hope to develop the crew network in our country on an international scale as this is severely lacking today.” Michel Desjoyeaux: “The America’s Cup has always appealed to me, even when I sailed singlehanded. The reason for this is that I’m an enthusiast of technology and this event gathers together a colossal amount of resources and skills. The aim of the game today is to combine cultures and histories. When Franck (Cammas) came to see me, I didn’t hesitate for one second. We’ve known each other for nearly 20 years. The same is true for Olivier (de Kersauson). We want the best. It’s true to say that we have three different egos, but we have a common aim and that’s the main thing.” Olivier de Kersauson: “To construct a project such as that of Team France, you need intelligence and synergies. In the past, I’ve witnessed a great many America’s Cups. The boats that star in them are all born from offshore racing. We have skills in our country, that’s obvious. I logically hope to bring my own into play. If all the good elements come together then it’s worthwhile.” The sea classes are 50 years of age! 23,000, is the number of children who set sail on sea classes each year. In this way, since 1964, several generations have been able to discover the sea and watersports activities. For this 50th anniversary, four Parisian classes of 8 to 10 year olds – nearly 150 students in all – were welcomed to the Brittany stand this Tuesday 11 December for the launch of the “Rédiger la Une de son journal local” (Headlining in your local newspaper) competition designed for children from 8 to 10 right across France. The aim: to think up a headline for the 100th anniversary of the Sea Classes in 2064. Up for grabs are two Sea Class holidays in the Finistère. At the Nautic, entertainment chaos for the tinies Demonstrations, dives into the mysterious world of the oceans, a virtual embarkation… The Nautic offers a plethora of entertainment for youngsters through until Sunday at the Porte de Versailles. We get the low-down: Mast climbing session: Reliving the age of the sailing ships, that’s what is on offer for the kids at the Nautic from the Mast-climbing sailors-comedians-entertainers. The delights abound in reliving the life of the sailors on the tall ships, as they climb the eight-metre high three-master, which is secured by a system of hydraulic rams. Winch: On its stand, the French Sailing Federation is offering young and old alike the chance to test their biceps on the winch handle, either double-handed or single-handed. The aim: to complete 20 rotations as quickly as possible. On offer for the best time at the end of the Nautic is a trip out to sea aboard the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VI with Armel Le Cleac’h. For now, the best have taken between six and seven seconds to fulfil the challenge. Moreover, it’s worth noting that in partnership with the Journal de Mickey, the French Sailing Federation is offering youngsters the chance to make magnets, take part in some colouring-in sessions and do some nautical quizzes. Immediate, virtual boarding: On the stand for the Pays de la Loire Region, visitors have the opportunity to set sail from Paris for the port of Marseille. Immediate and virtual boarding is available on a steamship built in Saint Nazaire: the MSC Splendida. Skating demonstrations:Toshiba is offering visitors the change to get into skateboarding! To get a better understanding of all the advantages and benefits for users of the Camiléo X-sports, professional skaters are putting on demonstrations of the product on the ramps, which will be set up on the Toshiba stand only. Something to impress both children and adolescents. Nautiloscope: A spectacular contraption measuring 16 metres long and five metres high, with its portholes and its immense dorsal fin, this terrestrial submarine, worthy of “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea”, is really causing a stir at the Nautic as it guarantees both thrills and spills. Aboard it, visitors are immersed in a universe midway between the imagination and reality. The high-tech equipment and objects from the past merge and blur into a blue-tinted atmosphere as the vessel plunges into the mysterious world of the oceans! The Spot Nautic: Kitted out with a giant screen and fans enabling visitors to test the keelboats, the latter is also fitted out with a latest generation winch optimising traction, with demonstrations by wakeboard champions to boot. Better still, it enables the public to get their first taste of surfing, stand up paddle, kayaking, windsurfing and dinghy sailing. Modelling pool: From hull half-models, used in times gone by to define the lines of a hull beneath the waterline, through to ultra-sophisticated radio-controlled scale models… the pool groups together all manner of enthusiasts during the Nautic. A veritable toy shop for every generation, it unleashes its charms right around the pool! Virtual Regatta: For those who can’t or don’t want to really throw themselves into it, Virtual Regatta offers a series of virtual races gathering together hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts. This year, the Nautic Transat is being contested on maxi trimarans – the start in Newport took place on 6 December – with a finish at the end of the Nautic, if the winds are favourable… Controlling a Jeep: This year, in front of the Jeep® Lounge at the entrance to Hall 4, there is entertainment on offer for one and all. To learn to control a Jeep®, the brand has launched a miniature towing challenge with radio-controlled Wranglers towing a boat. The aim? To rack up the best possible time over the course.