Please select your home edition
Edition
Marine Products Direct 2023 - Calypso LEADERBOARD

A mid-term review of the WDT France 2023 season

by Diam24onedesign 18 Aug 2023 13:20 BST
WDT France season © diam24onedesign.com

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!"

Related Articles

Caribbean Multihull Challenge overall
It's a wrap! Unique by its magnitude and design—a dedicated cruising rally run in conjunction with the racing regatta that's been the hallmark of the event—the seventh edition of the annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race and Rally. Posted on 5 Feb
Warm-water racing, Vendee Globe update
Warm-water racing, plus news from the Vendee Globe and Cup worlds While February doesn't enjoy the greatest reputation as a fine sailing month for most parts of North America (ahem), the same isn't true for the Caribbean or the Sunshine State. Posted on 4 Feb
Caribbean Multihull Challenge day 4
Sunday was the fourth and last day of the challenge for all divisions Sunday was the fourth and last day of the challenge for all divisions. Time for sailors to cross the finish lines in their category and register the last bullets on the scoreboard. Weather conditions were perfect for surprises. Posted on 4 Feb
2025 Caribbean Multihull Challenge Day 3
In the race toward fun, there is no finish line! Yesterday marked the beginning of the second half of CMC, where scoreboards are starting to be filled with bullets and show a kind of reality to all participants, revealing leaders and their followers. But in the race toward fun, there is no finish line! Posted on 2 Feb
2025 Caribbean Multihull Challenge Day 2
The breeze comes in at St. Maarten! Last night's beach party in Philipsburg was not over, yet crews were already talking about what would happen on this second day. One thing was for sure: breeze would come in! Posted on 2 Feb
2025 Caribbean Multihull Challenge Day 1
Sea, sail, and sun! The opening day of the 7th edition will remain in memories due to its unprecedented agenda: a race, a rally, a Diam 24 showcase, and the first annual Great Bay Beach & Boardwalk Jamboree happening almost simultaneously. Posted on 31 Jan
An exciting season ahead for Diam 24 OD Class
2025 promises spectacular regattas and thrilling challenges It was in 2022, in Saint Martin, that three bold sailors took a gamble by bringing in three Diam 24od trimarans. The fleet quickly grew, with two additional one-design boats bringing the total to five, paving the way for the organization of regattas start Posted on 30 Jan
World Diam Tour Caribbean: a promising 4th season
Joining the Diam24 one design adventure has never been easier With 10 boats already registered for a six-stage season starting from Saint Martin, the World Diam Tour Caribbean continues to draw sailing enthusiasts to the exceptional waters of the Caribbean. Posted on 16 Nov 2024
2024 World Diam Tour France wraps up
A fierce battle for the WDT France 2024 podium The 2024 season of the World Diam Tour France concluded in spectacular fashion with the sixth and final event, the Challenge An Avel Braz, held over the weekend of October 19-20. Posted on 3 Nov 2024
Caribbean Multihull Challenge preview
An action-packed weekend full of entertainment and sailing-fueled events The highly anticipated Caribbean Multihull Challenge returns this year with an action-packed weekend full of entertainment and sailing-fueled events. Posted on 12 Oct 2024