MEDIA KIT #1FROM JULY 3 TO 26

2015, The Revival

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A turning point

Yann Le Moënner, Managing Director of Amaury Sport Organisation

“Since we started working on the Tour de France à la Voile in 2012, the work of the A.S.O. staff has been guided by the desire to make this wonderful event even more dynamic. The public race village has been developed, we have event-branded vehicles, beach entertainment, a shorter three-week program for a more high-impact competition and a more captivating story, a start that ties in with the beginning of the summer holiday for French schools, and now a brand new boat… the Diam 24. These are some of the main ingredients in our bid to develop the competition. The Tour de France à la Voile is a popular event and every year it reaches a wider audience. We want to make it increasingly accessible to the general public, and this is what the ‘Diam 24 revolution’ is all about. The sporting spectacle will be closer to shore, with a fun, fast and spectacular boat. Equally, the dynamics of this new boat are fantastic, with a unique line-up bringing together top-level Corinthian sailors and noteworthy professionals. Roll on July 2015!”

Key facts about the 2015 edition A new boat: the Diam 24, a 24ft one-design trimaran

A new race format: coastal expedition races and stadium racing

A more spectacular Tour de France à la Voile, closer to its public

An impressive line-up with a mix of renowned skippers and Corinthian sailors

A great summer tour on land and sea

Three weeks of racing on three maritime seaboards

9 stopover venues

Evolution of the Tour de France à la Voile boats since the event’s creation in 1978

Écume de Mer

1978

First 30

1979 - 1981

Rush Royale

1982 / 1983

Le Sélection

1984 / 1991

JOD 35

1992 / 1998

Mumm 30

1999 - 2010

M 34

2011 - 2014

Diam 24

2015

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The Diam 24, the Tour de France à la Voile trimaran

A few key points to aid comprehensionLike the previous Tour de France à la Voile craft, the Diam 24 is a one-design boat. All the teams will be racing on identical boats and it will be up to the sailors to make the difference.

The specificity of the Diam 24 is that it can be assembled (and dismantled) in a short time frame (about 1 hour and 15 minutes), which is a real asset on a touring event like the Tour de France à la Voile. After each stopover, the central hull and floats are placed on a trailer with all the other parts due to be delivered to the next venue.

The Diam 24 has three crew on board. Lightweight crews, like full female crews, are permitted to have a fourth person on board. In any case, the total weight of the on-board crew cannot exceed 260 kilos. On the water, each crew has a very specific role.

Crew position on board > The helmsman also trims the mainsail traveller. > The second crew trims the mainsail and calls tactics. > And the third crew trims all the headsails (genoa and spinnaker).

Technical features: Length overall: 7.25m

Beam max: 5.62m

Draught: 1.50m

Air draught: 12.20m

Mainsail area: 22m²

Genoa: 10m²

Spinnaker: 32m²

Displacement: 450kg

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Renowned skippers and top-level Corinthian vying for the titleRound the world and transatlantic specialists, enthusiastic Corinthians, previous winners of the Tour de France à la Voile, an all-female crew and even a double World Freeride Skiing Champion who became a yacht-racing fan… All of them will gather together next summer. These sailors have succumbed to the Diam 24’s appeal and are thrilled at the prospect of returning to a race they have competed in countless times before. The Tour de France à la Voile will enjoy a supreme line-up for some supreme regattas.

A snapshot of the Tour 2015 line-up…

Please find our registration list for the Tour 2015. All details of the teams: www.tourvoile.fr.

Franck Cammas / GROUPAMA

His trademark: one of the most successful sailors in the world. Winner of the 2013 edition.

Sébastien Rogues / GDF SUEZ

His trademark: victorious in nearly every one of the Class 40 races he has competed in over a 2-year period, including the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013.

Aurélien Ducroz / LATITUDE NEIGE - LONGITUDE MER

His trademark: a mountain specialist, Double world freeride skiing champion. Set to make his debut appearance in the Tour.

Bernard Stamm / CHEMINÉES POUJOULAT

His trademark: one of the top names of the Vendée Globe. This Tour de France à la Voile will be a break on multihull before returning around the world.

Vincent Riou / PRB

His trademark: part of the very exclusive clique of Vendée Globe winners.

Jérémie Beyou / MAÎTRE COQ

His trademark: won the Solitaire du Figaro three times. 2nd in the 2014 Route du Rhum. He will be one of the key names of this Tour de France à la Voile.

Loïc Féquet His trademark: from Saint-Lunaire in Brittany. He took part in all the main 50ft multihull races, including the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum (3rd in 2010).

Lionel Lemonchois / PRINCE DE BRETAGNE

His trademark: ex-holder of The Route du Rhum record. His trimaran Prince de Bretagne measures 24 metres in length!

Daniel SoubenHis trademark: he is the last winner of the Tour de France à la Voile on monohull, but he’s also a multihull specialist and is amongst the favourites this year.

Damien Seguin / FONDATION FDJ - DES PIEDS ET DES MAINS

His trademark: campaigning on both the offshore racing and Paralympic circuits. Has won two medals (gold and silver) in the Paralympic Games.

Erwan Tabarly / ARMOR LUX - COMPTOIR DE LA MER

His trademark: Erwan leaves his Figaro speciality aside to now compete on three hulls. Keep a close watch on him!

Anne-Claire Le Berre

Her trademark: olympic sailing specialist, she is also a French Match Racing Champion.

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Towards a new race format

Jean-Baptiste Durier, Director of the Tour de France à la Voile

"The 2015 Tour de France à la Voile course will comprise a blend of tradition and modern new twists. The traditional element will involve a welcome return to some of the classic Tour de France à la Voile venues. In this way, the start and finish venues will be those that proved so successful in the 2014 edition, Dunkirk and Nice, as well as Gruissan and Roses, which will once again play a key role in the competition both on the water and on land. A modern new twist is that 50% of the course will differ from last summer’s circuit. Indeed, the Tour de France à la Voile will stop off in some top sailing destinations. Among them is Les Sables d’Olonne, where some of the skippers have experienced the emotional Vendée Globe rollercoaster ride. There is Fécamp too, where the Diam 34s will strut their stuff just off the pebble beach, as the ORMA trimarans once did some years back. Pornichet is another new stopover this year. The race village will be installed along the seafront on “Boulevard de la Mer”, right next to the paddocks. The resulting spectacle is sure to be a showstopper and as the French coastline echoes to the rhythm of the Diam 24 gliding over the water, it is hoped that the public will be out in force to share in the festivities!"

The stopovers will comprise two days of racing On the first day the fleet will compete in a Coastal Expedition Race. This Coefficient 1 race will give the racers the opportunity to showcase some iconic elements of the French coast, which is something the Tour de France à la Voile has always done. The length of the course will depend on the weather conditions.

The second day will be even closer to the public. The Stadium Racing will give everyone the chance to experience the show up close. Each race will last about 20 minutes and the course will be set as close as possible to the shore.

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The Tour de France à la Voile is a popular three-week extravaganza. Last year, more than 100,000 visitors enjoyed the event’s Race Village experience. Hosting games and entertainment throughout the day and a wealth of concerts in the evening, the main stage became the focal point for festivities.

Other attractions include the event-branded cars, originally launched in 2013, which have already proven to be a great success at all the stopovers and the entertainment and goodies enjoyed by over 50,000 people last year.

Among the many attractions on the beach, the Tour has been giving the public the opportunity to try out windsurfing, stand-up paddle as well as dinghy sailing and it is clear that, in addition to the competitive aspect of the event, the program of entertainment is the backbone of the Tour de France à la Voile. Amazingly, in 2015, the show is set to be even bigger still, for the enjoyment of young and old alike.

The Entertainment Village for the Tour de France à la Voile Free fun and educational activities for young and old alike.

The race partners’ stands, their games and gifts.

Live race coverage on the main screen.

Free access to the boats so the public can get up close and personal.

Interviews and signing sessions at each stopover.

Wild nights with concerts every evening.

A massive entertainment arena on the beach Free introductory watersports sessions (windsurfing, stand-up paddling, dinghy sailing).

Fun and educational sports activities on the beach.

Hundreds of gifts to win everyday!

Event-branded cars A selection of fully logoed vehicles with a sound system.

More than 1,000km covered at each venue to go out and meet the public.

Hundreds of goodies up for grabs.

More than 2 tonnes of lollies to give away.

A popular and festive extravaganza on land

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MEDIA CONTACTS EFFETS MER AGENCY

Fabienne Morin - Media coordination - + 33 6 87 25 83 15 - fmorin@effetsmer.com Clémence Leparmentier - Media relations - + 33 6 33 96 22 83 - cleparmentier@effetsmer.com

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