CIC Normandy Channel Race - fleet have assembled in Caen

CIC Normandy Channel Race - fleet have assembled in Caen © IMAGE IN FRANCE

They've arrived! The 32 expected Class40s were on time in Caen on Wednesday evening; a fleet that therefore sets a record for the 16th edition of the event but also the record for an exclusive Class40 event since the creation of this class 20 years ago.

So what is the recipe for the CIC NORMANDY CHANNEL RACE? The enthusiasm for ocean racing in France, the remarkable place that the Class40 has taken with a human-scale approach to performance and adventure, and an event with its identity developed over the years, made of high standards and surpassing oneself on an exceptional course at sea, and on land of conviviality on the Normandy soil. And partners committed over the long term such as the Normandy communities and the CIC, title partner driving the development for the past 4 years.

Hear from the skippers:

Vincent Riou (winner of the 2004 Vendée Globe): with Tanguy Leglatin on PIERREVAL FONDATION GOOD PLANET (No. 203): "I'm a huge fan of the CIC Normandy Channel Race. It's a very tough race but also very beautiful because it takes us to some superb locations. It's truly a magical race, probably one of the most beautiful of all the races on the French coast. Each edition has a very strong field. This will be the case again this time with newcomers, and not the least. There's also a really interesting variety in the boats. We'll have to be good amidst this diversity. The best sailors are often at the forefront in the CIC NCR, but the game remains open thanks to the boats. It's a mix of skilled sailors and varied boats with strengths and weaknesses that are not identical. Depending on the weather conditions, everyone can express themselves. It's a race during which you have to have good nerves. hooked."

Pierre-Louis Attwell (2024 Class40 Circuit Champion): with Maxime Bensa on VOGUE AVEC UN CROHN (No. 195) - quoted in Ouest-France on May 21 (Valentin Pineau): "First of all, it's a tough event. Coming from a short week of CIC NCR, you're more exhausted than coming from a three-week transatlantic race. Secondly, it's a well-organized race and well-established in the calendar. It's also, except for the years of Quebec - Saint-Malo, the first race of the season, which allows you to gauge yourself against the competitors. The richness of the course also makes it a success. You know that overall, if you do well in the Normandy Channel Race, you're going to have a good season. It's true that it's far from being the same race every year. If you look at the weather patterns, the Route du Rhum or the Transat Jacques Vabre are probably more similar. from one edition to another than the Normandy Channel Race. I have never seen an NCR where it runs twice in the same place.

Antoine Carpentier (9 participations) with Ian Lipinski - CREDIT MUTUEL (No. 202): "I can't wait to come back to Caen; we're always warmly welcomed there. The CIC Normandy Channel Race is an event I particularly enjoy. It's a complicated exercise that's somewhere between an ocean race and a three-buoy regatta. We have some great nautical battles, and there are always twists and turns. This year feels like a comeback; we're coming with the latest-generation Crédit Mutuel Class40, which has already undergone its first optimization work. We've also upgraded the sails, and we can't wait to see all the progress we've made since last year.