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01.06.2011 Back to news
Istanbul Europa Race cancelled: Groupe Bel will take part in the Giraglia Rolex Cup
 | © Stephanie Gaspari |
Four racers had confirmed their participation in Istanbul Europa Race. These were Groupe Bel skippered by Kito de Pavant, Safran by Marc Guillemot, Hugo Boss by Alex Thomson and the brand new Cheminées Poujoulat by Bernard Stamm. This line-up would not have been sufficient to have raced this European Pro Tour with crew as it should be done, which was to stop over in Barcelona, Brest and Hamburg, finishing in Cowes (England) on 10 August.
Kito de Pavant his crew and his sponsor Bel Group have been supporters of this race with its interesting course and format from the beginning and would have liked to have competed in this second race. It is worth remembering that the monohull Groupe Bel won the Nice-Barcelona leg in 2009 before taking position on the second step of the podium at the finish in Brest, beside the winner, Foncia skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux.
Keeping the tempo with a course set for the Giraglia!
Even if the Istanbul date no longer holds, Kito's team is still aiming to launch Groupe Bel as planned in mid-June in Port Camargue. It is their ambition now to be at the starting line on Wednesday 22 June for the start of the great Giraglia Rolex Cup race in which the monohull bearing the image of the Laughing Cow® will take part for the third consecutive year! Once again this "run" between the Bay of Saint-Tropez, the rock of Giraglia (North Corsica) and the harbor of Genoa (Italy) will unite more than 200 outstanding yachtsmen, and among them the monohulls of the IMOCA Class currently present in the Mediterranean.
The Transat Jacques Vabre, the high point of the season of 2011
After the Giraglia, Kito will be training with a view to the Transat Jacques Vabre until mid-July. Then will follow some final optimization work at the yard during the summer before sailing to the "great north" on a course for Le Havre, where the start of this double-handed transatlantic race to Costa Rica will take place on 30 October.
However, the organizers of the Istanbul Europa Race would like to do everything possible to postpone this race until September, which, obviously, will make for close timing before the Transat Jacques Vabre. As a reminder, during the first European Pro Tour in 2009, Groupe Bel and its five contenders managed to take part in the two events. Nothing is impossible for a willing heart! For the moment, the Groupe Bel team is focusing on the present schedule.
Kito de Pavant his crew and his sponsor Bel Group have been supporters of this race with its interesting course and format from the beginning and would have liked to have competed in this second race. It is worth remembering that the monohull Groupe Bel won the Nice-Barcelona leg in 2009 before taking position on the second step of the podium at the finish in Brest, beside the winner, Foncia skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux.
Keeping the tempo with a course set for the Giraglia!
Even if the Istanbul date no longer holds, Kito's team is still aiming to launch Groupe Bel as planned in mid-June in Port Camargue. It is their ambition now to be at the starting line on Wednesday 22 June for the start of the great Giraglia Rolex Cup race in which the monohull bearing the image of the Laughing Cow® will take part for the third consecutive year! Once again this "run" between the Bay of Saint-Tropez, the rock of Giraglia (North Corsica) and the harbor of Genoa (Italy) will unite more than 200 outstanding yachtsmen, and among them the monohulls of the IMOCA Class currently present in the Mediterranean.
The Transat Jacques Vabre, the high point of the season of 2011
After the Giraglia, Kito will be training with a view to the Transat Jacques Vabre until mid-July. Then will follow some final optimization work at the yard during the summer before sailing to the "great north" on a course for Le Havre, where the start of this double-handed transatlantic race to Costa Rica will take place on 30 October.
However, the organizers of the Istanbul Europa Race would like to do everything possible to postpone this race until September, which, obviously, will make for close timing before the Transat Jacques Vabre. As a reminder, during the first European Pro Tour in 2009, Groupe Bel and its five contenders managed to take part in the two events. Nothing is impossible for a willing heart! For the moment, the Groupe Bel team is focusing on the present schedule.
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