Normandy Sailing Week numbers steadily rising

by Kate Jennings on 26 May 2011 Normandy Sailing Week. The second Le Havre edition is set to take place from 10 to 13 June 2011. Numbers are up in relation to previous editions with approximately one hundred entries already registered.

Among the many one-designs racing will be the M34s. This latest craft to be used in the Tour de France à la Voile, will total around fifteen boats; thirteen having already entered to date. Furthermore, the top French crews will be racing, including Courrier Dunkerque, double Tour de France à la Voile champion and Bertrand Pacé on Sud De France / Languedoc Roussillon. It’s also worth pointing out here that the event is the first to form part of this year’s French Crewed Offshore Racing Championship, and comes just days before the Tour de France à la Voile.

In the J80 category the objective to be reached, or exceeded, amounts to around twenty boats in the Baie de Seine and this appears to be within grasp with 15 crews already registered. The Beneteau 7.5s are also planned to total around twenty crews as 16 have already entered.

In the Sportsboat category, the Laser SB3s will be the most numerous this year, just weeks from the end of the Worlds in Torbay, SW England, and a flourishing series in Upper Normandy. 15 to 20 craft will be racing.

The other Sportsboats series are also filling up nicely, particularly with the return of the Class6.5 and the Longtze.

Finally, in IRC the English crews will be out in force this year with several reference crews in IRC1, such as that of the Grand Soleil Quokka 8, who are bagging all the medals in the Solent, or Peter Morton on a brand new racing machine, the MAT 1010. All in all, the event is likely to play host to 40 to 50 such crews, split between 4 IRC classes, for three days of windward-leeward and coastal courses in the Baie de Seine.

Three to four days of racing and hence fun both off and on shore in the Nautical Town of Le Havre. An event not to be missed!
Normandy Sailing Week website