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Tour de France à la Voile

Two Volvo Ocean Race winners will join the TFV as skippers this year

The 37th TFV will take place from Dunkerque to Nice from July 4 to 27

jeudi 22 mai 2014Information Tour Voile

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The playing field is promising and the competition already kicked in, with Courrier Dunkerque 3 winning the Spi Ouest Spi Ouest #SpiOuest -France Intermarché a point ahead of Groupama 34, and Groupama taking over Courrier Dunkerque and Oman Sail during the Grand Prix Guyader.

Two Volvo Ocean Race winners will join the TFV as skippers this year : Franck Cammas (winner in 2012) and Sidney Gavignet (2006). Nicolas Troussel won the Solitaire du Figaro Solitaire du Figaro #LaSolitaire twice and Daniel Souben claimed the TFV title twice. Event director Jean-Baptiste Durier announced the participation of nine M34s in 2014, saying he is very pleased with the level of the fleet.

The amateurs from Bruxelles and Bienne Voile will be there this summer too – they have always been loyal to the event and will race onboard the M34 M34 #M34 Be. Brussels – Bienne Voile. The Swiss team is back with skipper Nicolas Groux replacing Elodie-Jane Mettraux, now part of Team SCA in the next Volvo Ocean Race.

The Tour de France à la Voile also focused on youth sailing. The Hyères sailing club (COYCH) and Toulon Provence Méditerranée are entering a boat in the race, to be skippered by the local Florian Simonnot, aged 21. Nantes Saint-Nazaire is now a young project with rookies led by Jean-Baptiste Gellée. Normandie is back with a similar team to the last year and their age average is 26.

The event organiser A.S.O. also announced on Thursday that only the M34s would finally enter the race.

“The Grand Surprise boats won’t join, though it was initially open to them. Students and amateurs reacted positively at Paris boat show but not enough of them managed to raise the necessary funds,” explained Jean-Baptiste Durier.

A shorter race to boost the rhythm

As announced at Paris boat show, the 2014 edition will last three weeks, leaving little room for mistakes and tactical errors. From Dunkirk to Nice (July 4-27), the teams will race inshore and offshore, looking for the perfect balance between both.

“This edition is as promising as last year. The competition is real with some great teams joining in. Changing the racing format to three weeks involves changing the organisation Organisation #organisation of the teams onboard. It seems like the duration of the event is now favourable to the sailors who know each other well, who are used to sail together. The English Channel will offer an intense competition and the Mediterranean Sea is a part we don’t know that well,” said Daniel Souben.

Franck Cammas won the last edition and he still aims at the victory.

“I don’t know if we’ll do as well as last year but we are as ready and the team hasn’t changed much. Our first results have been good.”

Cammas will be co-skipper with Fabien Henry, who won the TFV himself in 2012 with TPM COYH.


Entry list for the Tour de France à la Voile 2014 :

  • BE.BRUSSELS – BIENNE VOILE, skippé par Delphine WOLTERS, Yann BURKHALTER et Olivier BESSIRE
  • BRETAGNE CREDIT MUTUEL ELITE, skippé par Nicolas TROUSSEL
  • COURRIER DUNKERQUE 3, skippé par Daniel SOUBEN
  • GROUPAMA 34, skippé par Franck CAMMAS
  • NANTES - SAINT NAZAIRE, skippé par Jean-Baptiste GELLEE
  • NORMANDIE, skippé par Baptiste CHOQUENET
  • TEAM OMANSAIL, skippé par Sidney GAVIGNET
  • TOULON PROVENCE MEDITERRANEE - COYCH, skippé par Florian SIMONNOT
  • VILLE DE GENEVE – CARREFOUR ADDICTIONS, skippé par Nicolas GROUX et Loïc FORESTIER


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