As the 15th edition of The Transat CIC kicks off in Lorient on 28 April, the race's starting village will open its doors at Lorient La Base from 23 to 28 April. On the programme: free events throughout the week for all ages, with many highlights. All in all, the week leading up to the start of the race will be a great sporting and popular celebration.
To remember in this press release:
The Transat CIC starting village will be open from 23 to 28 April at Lorient La Base.
There will be plenty of entertainment on offer
The whole fleet will be moored at the Lorient La Base pontoons
The parade of Class40 and IMOCA boats will take place on the afternoon of 23 April
The spotlight will be on sailing transport, with a dedicated exhibition
@ DR
Situated at the heart of Sailing Valley, Lorient, a nerve centre for innovation in ocean racing, will be hosting the start of The Transat CIC for two editions. This year, the legendary solo transatlantic race, which will be heading for New York (USA), will take place here from April 23 to 28. It's an opportunity for everyone, young and old, fans and novices alike, to immerse themselves in the history of this legendary transatlantic race and to spend some convivial, festive time in the race's starting village at Lorient La Base. This 9,000 m2 area will be open from 10am to 2am (closing at 5pm on April 28) during the first week of the Breton school holidays.
Parades to admire the boats under sail
While the village will be inaugurated on Tuesday 23 April at 6pm, the festivities will get off to a great start on the water in the afternoon with the parades of the 13 Class40s and 33 IMOCAs. The Class 40s will get the ball rolling when they leave the pontoons at Lorient La Base at 13h30, with the parade starting at 14h. The IMOCA boats will follow at 14h30. Their parade will start at 3pm and finish at 5pm. The parades will be organised to celebrate the arrival of the boats at the pontoons of La Base on the opening day of the village. The boats will sail around the island of Groix before returning to moor at La Base at 5.30pm. Spectacle guaranteed!
A festival of events ashore
Ashore, The Transat CIC village will be the scene of a host of activities for all ages, including a petanque area, bouncy castles, a skimboard track, a 'mecano winch' and an Optimist simulator. "The aim is to make the start of The Transat CIC a real people's festival, a free event open to all. We wanted to showcase the skippers and their boats, but also put the spotlight on sailing and ocean protection through two exhibitions. We'll also be offering concerts and DJ sets every evening from 8pm," explains Marion Olivier, Project Manager for The Transat CIC. There will also be a focus on the history of the mother of all ocean races in the village and on the pontoons on 24 April, with the celebration of Pen Duick II and Pen Duick VI, aboard which Éric Tabarly won the race in 1964 and 1976 respectively.
Among the highlights will be the showing of the film "Mon double Everest" by Maxime Sorel on 23 April at 8.30pm in the Auditorium of the Cité de la Voile, the traditional presentation of the skippers on the big stage in the village on 25 April at 5.30pm, a daily meeting at 5pm on the stage with a talk by the sailors and the departure of the boats in parade on 28 April from 10.30am. Finally, a number of waterborne transport solutions will be on show on 28 April, with the aim of organising a symbolic departure 20 minutes before the start of The Transat CIC. A number of boats will be taking part, including SeaKite, Wisamo Michelin and ACC Wing. The race will start at 3.45pm, with live coverage beginning at 3.15pm, to be followed on the race networks and in the Lorient village.
