Yacht Racing Forum 2018 to take place in Brittany

Yacht Racing Forum 2018 to take place in Brittany © Sailing Valley

The leading annual conference for the business of sailing and yacht racing will take place on October 22-23, 2018 in Brittany, in the town of Lorient, at the heart of the mythical Sailing Valley©, one of the world's most dynamic sailing and yacht racing destinations, right before the famous Route du Rhum.

Members of the yacht racing community and sailing industry from all over the world are invited to Save the Date and join the Yacht Racing Forum 2018, on October 22-23 in Lorient, Brittany. Organized by MaxComm Communication, and co-hosted by Bretagne Développement Innovation and the cluster Eurolarge Innovation, this event will reassemble the sports' key personalities: event organisers, sponsors, designers, professional sailors, boat builders, media as well as insurance and finance companies, and provide a unique opportunity to network, debate the future of the sport and make business in one of the sport's strongholds.

"We are very proud and looking forward to organizing the next edition of the Yacht Racing Forum in Lorient", says Bernard Schopfer, the event organiser. "Brittany is so dynamic, and we already have such a positive feed-back about this venue that we can confidently expect a very successful event in 2018."

"Brittany is looking forward to hosting the 11th edition of the Yacht Racing Forum in Lorient", says Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Regional Council. "It is no result of chance this fantastic event will take place in our region: from boat design to welcoming the best sailors and organizing great races, Brittany offers a range of unique know-how and cutting edge advanced technologies, recognized across the industry, including yachting, aeronautics and marine renewables. The Yacht Racing Forum is the opportunity to showcase this Sailing Valley© to the global community of actors in competitive sailing."

The dates of the Yacht Racing Forum 2018 are changed to October 22-23 in order to fit in with the international sailing calendar and allow delegates to visit the Race village of the Route du Rhum, in Saint-Malo. An optional guided tour of the region's sailing industries, active in yacht racing, will also be proposed to the Forum delegates.

Hugues Meili, President of Bretagne Développement Innovation, looks forward to welcoming the Yacht Racing Forum in Brittany: "Competitive sailing is a true innovation lab and a driver for imbedded cutting-edge technologies, and gathers many firms in Brittany. The Yacht Racing Industry is also a driver of development and attractiveness, and Brittany strongly supports this sector through the actions of Eurolarge Innovation, its supporting structure. As we get ready to host the Yacht Racing Forum, our aim is to clearly showcase and promote this center of excellence on the international stage."

Yann Penfornis, the General Manager of Multiplast shipyard, himself a strong supporter and regular participant of the Yacht Racing Forum, declares that "hosting the Forum in Brittany in 2018 gives us a great opportunity to showcase the excellence of the companies of the Sailing Valley © and their ability to innovate in all areas of competitive sailing, from yachts design to construction."

Vincent Marsaudon, General Manager of Lorima, concludes: "By hosting the Yacht Racing Forum in Brittany, our acknowledged tech know-how in major races such as the Vendée Globe or the America's Cup, will gain visibility, particularly in Anglo-Saxon countries. Our aim is to boost business and show how straightforward it is to develop racing yachts in Brittany, thanks to the local presence of a complete value chain."

Yacht Racing Forum 2018 facts & figures:

• The event will take place before the Route du Rhum and provide a great opportunity for participants to visit the race village in Saint-Malo from October 25.

• The dates selected avoid clashes with METS, Le Nautic (Paris Boat Show) and any other sailing-related event announced to date.

• The evening gala reception will take place on Monday October 22 in the iconic "Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly".

• An exclusive (optional) visit of companies from Brittany involved in yacht racing will be conducted on October 24, right after the event.

• The Yacht Racing Forum 2018 will reassemble the key personalities from within the yacht racing industry worldwide; event organizers, sponsors, designers and builders, athletes, insurance and financial companies, specialized media and more...

Registrations for the Yacht Racing Forum will open right after the 2017 edition, on December 1, 2017. The top 80 registrants will benefit from our Early Bird rate, and save €100 on the registration fee!

For more information and registration for the Yacht Racing Forum 2017 in Aarhus, Denmark: www.yachtracingforum.com