A mid-term review of the WDT France 2023 season

by Diam24onedesign 18 Aug 2023 13:20 BST

As a reminder, the World Diam Tour France 2023 is a challenge made up of 6 events, open to crews who enjoy speed and racing with equal weapons. There's nothing more gratifying than seeing how far you've come, when it's all about teamwork.

The venues selected for these six events are iconic, and if they are concentrated mainly in Southern Brittany this year, it is with a responsible logic of optimising the movements of both boats and racers.

Over the course of these six events, the WDT will be showing 2 rankings: one for each 'crew' and a second for each 'individual' racer. It is on the basis of these two rankings that the WDT podiums will be awarded each year: the crew crowned champion will have the honour of displaying the 'Gold Diamond' logo, the second a 'Silver Diamond' and the third a 'Bronze Diamond'... and all this for one year!

Structured training sessions were organised at the beginning of the year. There's nothing better for learning and getting to grips with the material than exchanging ideas and training with more experienced crews and coaches. It's a really effective way of making progress and it's a great way of discovering the sport and all its potential.

The first event of the WDT 2023: the Spi Ouest France! It took place in excellent sailing conditions, with 19 races over 4 days, with the rankings changing from day to day. Suspense, sport, a fierce atmosphere on the water and a friendly atmosphere on land - it all came together with talent from all generations and all backgrounds!

Following on from this, the fleet was offered a weekend of training at St Philibert. The boats were dismantled in their Dboxes at the end of the weekend and transported to Clohars Carnoët for the 'Tour des iles de Bretagne Sud', the second leg of the circuit.

This tailor-made event for the Diam 24od took place on the 1st weekend in May. When the racers arrived, the Dboxes were spread out over a spacious car park and the assembled boats were waiting for the crews to launch them from the beach. Over the 3 days of racing, even if the wind and the gloom were there, two magnificent raids were raced: the first towards the Glénan islands and the second whose course was the tour of the island of Groix from the mainland. What a pleasure to swallow up the miles and discover new coastlines. On the final day, in rather brisk conditions, 6 races were sailed around 3 buoys. A cocktail of varied races, demonstrating once again the versatility of the Diam 24od, whatever the sailing format.

As soon as the prize-giving was over, the Dboxes were packed up and the crews were back home.

Eight days later, the Dboxes were unloaded in Camaret at the foot of the Tour Vauban for the GPEN, the third event in the WDT 2023! The magic of the GPEN worked once again: a great meeting, wind, sun, scenery, course, committee, atmosphere ashore and on the water, crews who fought hard, a ranking that was decided right up to the last race. The general level rose, with the youngest crews competing with the most experienced, and all winning a heat! As soon as the boats were stowed away in the Dboxes, all the crews said their goodbyes after the prize-giving ceremony on the parade ground at the Ecole Navale in Lanvéoc.

Four weeks have gone by and we're off to Port la Foret in mid-June for the Multicup-Tour des Glénan, the 4th event on the circuit. On Friday afternoon, a training session organised by Simon Moriceau was offered to all, followed by the traditional local regatta 'des petits bords', which gave us a good warm-up before the 3 long legs of the weekend, raced in very little wind. You had to have particularly strong nerves...

The Diam 24od confirms that this series has a real future: it's simple, economical, can be sailed in all weather conditions and allows regattas to be organised in a truly virtuous way.

It's a real training tool for everyone, and it's not the greatest champions like our sponsor Quentin DE LA PIERRE who will contradict us. He has fond memories of his Diam24od years. For young people, it's a great way to learn how to sail with a crew, and they can easily get involved in sports school projects or work with owners.

A 3-stage end to the season

In a few days' time, the Dboxes loaded with D24ods will be setting off for St Philibert, where they are expected for the end of the WDT France 2023.

1. Training weekend on 16 and 17 September at Saint Philibert.
   
2. SailFast du Crouesty on 22, 23 and 24 September.
   
3. Trophée An Avel Braz on 13, 14 and 15 October in Saint Philibert.

Xavier DUBOS, the class president, explains: "The WDT 2023 rankings haven't been drawn up yet, and no one can say what they will be in the end. What is certain is that the Diam is a one-design where only the crew makes the difference. Throughout this season, everyone has made a lot of progress and each event has been fought out right up to the last moment. There's a match every time and that's what's so exciting".

And Vincent BOUVIER, who has just returned from England where he was crowned "Dart18 2023 World Champion", tells us: "The D24od season, the training sessions, my rethinking to discover and tame this new medium brought me a lot during my last regattas in Dart18. I think that all those who associate 'sailing, regattas' and 'challenge, pleasure of learning', can come and join us, they will be very pleasantly surprised!"