Quebec Saint Malo Transatlantic - adventure time

by Event media on 15 Jul 2008 The Québec Saint Malo fully crewed transatlantic race, six days from the start of the seventh edition, is only one boat short of the 28 registered entries. French sailor hervé Cléris is expected to dock tomorrow aboard his 50 ft trimaran.

18 Class 40 boats, along with 6 50 ft trimarans and 4 FICO monohulls shall set sail Sunday morning July 20th at 11.00 AM for the 3 000 miles long voyage towards the Old Continent. More than a race the Transat Québec Saint Malo is deeply rooted within every sailor's imagination with its promises of breathtaking horizons and an ever present spirit of adventure. An homogenous fleet of multihulls and monohulls shall once again give canadians spectators a unique taste of high sailing emotions.

Organized for the first time back in 1984 to comemorate the discovery of Québec by French explorer Jacques Cartier, this Transat has welcome along the years all kinds of sailing prototypes, from the maxi catamarans Jet Services or Royale to the spectacular 60 ft trimarans built to set records. But the tide has turned and the time is no longer favourable to expensive yet fragile multihulls. 40 feet monohulls are the latest trend among french and international sailors who enjoy competing on an even level rather than seeking individual performances on unique and expensive prototypes. A whole new generation of sailors coming from as different a background as Olympic sailing, Figaro Class, maxi multihulls or Mini 6,50 is contributing to make the 40 Class a very exciting one. Tough going competitors, they value once grounded solidarity, companionship and good humor. Eager to take on the mighty Saint Laurent river, they nevertheless enjoy life in Québec, helping each other and reverbarating over the hard sailing to come. For the first time since this race was created, an even competition is about to start, with each skipper holding as many chances to succeed as any of his opponents.

With Québec's 400th anniversary celebrations in full swing, the port of Québec has become the central focusing point for all visitors. All kind of activities are scheduled to go on all week long. in the meantime, every boat is being carefully inspected by the race Comitee and every skipper is making sure he duelly complies with the Race instructions. As usual, the City of Québec shall host a welcoming party next friday for skippers and crew. Time will then run out for last minute checks until the fleet takes the gun Sunday July 20th at 11.00 hours.

Official site : www.quebecsaintmalo.com