10.11.2008
http://www.imoca.org/
The day after the start of the Vendée Globe
, the IMOCA is happy of the extraordinary success of the 6th edition of the single handed non-stop round the world race. This event is expected to be, for more than one reason, the biggest round the world race of history.
It is a popular success that had never happened before : 25,000 visitors per weekday, 45,000 per week-end day and more than 800,000 in total!
And a media success of the same scale : more than 1,100 journalists were accredited for the event!
If the mobilization of all the main French media confirms that is one of the most important sportive event of the year, the 280 foreign journalists on site prove that the enthusiasm about it goes much further than the French borders, which pleases our Class.
The IMOCA 60 fleet gathered in Les Sables d'Olonne reflects it, as seven different national flags are now flown in the harbour. If the French sailors keep the majority, the British fleet (7 competitors!) and the sailors coming from Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Austria and United States prove the international ability of the IMOCA.
With 2/3 of the fleet built since the Vendée Globe 2004/2005, the IMOCA shows a matchless dynamism in the sailing world. It is especially important to point out the architectural diversity in this event, as not less than 11 designers worked on the fleet.
Finally, even though it is obvious that budgets have increased since the last Vendée Globe, point on which the Class is working and will be working in the coming years, we are congratulating about the number, the quality and the diversity of the partner companies, and the boat owners, among which we count international firms or small and medium-sized businesses companies. This diversity is obviously an asset that we want to keep, especially in these times of economic difficulties. For the reason, we will need to keep away from any inflationist tendency.
The IMOCA is now preparing for the after Vendée Globe. The Class expressed during its last Executive Committee meeting a desire of stability. For these reasons, whichever modifications proposed during the General Assembly in spring 2009, the decision taken by the Executive Committee to let the Class rules as they are now until the end of the Barcelona World Race 2011. The Class has been working for the last months to finalise its race programme for the two coming years. The Class is glad about this constructive collaboration that is now in place with the main event organisers that the Class will race in 2009: Royale Organisation for the Calais Round Britain race, Olay Nautic for the European Pro Tour and Pen Duick SA for the Transat Jacques Vabre. Many guaranties for the future of the skippers and the IMOCA monohulls to who we wish "fair wind"!
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