The Real Tour de France
by Tom Jeffcoate 12 Sep 2012 12:43 BST
May 2014
Burton Week for the National 12 fleet at Hayling © N Copsey
There's a new event coming...
In May 2014 a group of classes are going on holiday for an event with a twist. The bank holiday weekend (also handily coinciding with school half term) will see the Firefly, Lark, Merlin Rocket, National 12 and Scorpion fleets descend on Carnac in Brittany for a long weekend's racing and socialising in the sunshine.
Each fleet will have their own start and they will be racing for 4 of the most famous jerseys in sport; the maillot jaune, maillot vert, maillot à pois rouges and maillot blanc. Or the yellow, green, polkadot and white jerseys for those who are not cycling fans or who like me also have to use a translator. The exact format for awarding these is still to be confirmed but there are various options being aired and these will be fixed closer the time. Don't worry though, they will all be for performances on the water, no cycling involved.
Off the water 5 fleets with renowned socials are getting together for a holiday... I don't think I need to say anything more than that! And for the shore party, the socials won't just be evening based with events organised for when the sailors are afloat. On top of that, Carnac is a very popular tourist destination famous for its beaches, is easily reached from the UK and is a great venue to spend a few days holiday.
At the moment we are trying to gauge interest in the event. There's some more information at www.paladin-systems.co.uk/carnac/carnac.htm including a button to register your interest. 62 people have already signed up so if you're interested in coming and haven't already please add your name to the list.
One final thing, a couple of people from other classes have asked if they can also be involved. The classes included were invited as they don't normally have an international event and have similar requirements both on and off the water. Only 5 were invited as a balance between ensuring enough attendees and not over complicating logistics. That said, if you think your class would be keen to get involved then the exact number of fleets possible is still to be confirmed with Carnac so let me know (contact details in the link) and it will be looked into further.