Race committee in place

One left to go for registration for the first Deauville International Week, northern France's answer to Cowes Week

With over two months to go until the first edition of Deauville International Week from 7-11 June 2006, a top level sports organisation has been set up to host this new international one design event.

The Race Committee will be managed by Christophe Gaumont, a renowned international judge and executive of the Ecole Nationale de Voile (French National Sailing School), with the support of Tony Lovell, Race Manager from the Royal Southern Yacht Club. Specialising in the organisation of large scale events this duo will lead a team of eight international judges that is fittingly half Anglo-Saxon and half French.

This team will run four rounds of racing off Deauville and the Côte Fleurie with the welcome support of the large clubs from Upper and Lower Normandy: the Deauville Yacht Club, the Le Havre Racing Society and Caen-Ouistreham Racing Society, the county committees of the Calvados and Manche regions and the Lower Normandy league of the FFV (French Sailing Federation).

The event will play host to the cream of France’s Melges 24 racers with its Class Nationals, an ideal proving ground for both French and foreign crews. It should be noted that the person in charge of the Melges 24 during the event, Corine Aubert, will also be President of the Race Committee in the Melges 24 World Championships in Hyères in August 2006.

The Mumm 30 class will be competing for the European Championship at the same time, so both the Mumms and the Melges will race on independent courses. The other one design series J/80, J/105, J/109 - competing for the first European Cup, and the elapsed time series in the 40, 45 and 52 footers (Farr 40, Beneteau 40.7, Farr 45, Swan 45 etc) will have two other rounds of racing with separate starts and ranking per one design series.

The International Jury will be managed by Jacques Simon and comprise five other judges from USA, Israel, Great Britain and Belgium.

In accordance with the wishes of Philippe Augier, Mayor of Deauville, and the Calvados county council, considerable development of the port has been carried out. New pontoons will be laid out for the event, along with a new, recently inaugurated infrastructure and a modernised outer harbour.

Across from the yachts, the race Village will extend across 300m from the central Quai du Bassin Morny. It will comprise a vast 500sqm crew marquee, a bar with a plentiful supply of beer, and live bands every evening with music ranging from Celtic to jazz.

A Public Relations organisation will provide partner enterprises with crews and restaurant services within the VIP village, added to which will be the opportunity to follow races on the water.

Sailors and enterprises which are fans of golf may even benefit from privileged conditions on the very fine 120 hectare golf course in Deauville Saint-Gatien, partner to the event.

Finally, in addition to the numerous inscriptions already registered in each series the 747 OD class has now been added to the guest list.

An unmissable début edition!

For more information:

Manfred Ramspacher- Sirius Evenements
8 rue Lyautey - 75016 PARIS
Tel: +33(0)1 45 20 44 61 - Fax : +33(0)1 45 20 46 97
e-mail: sirius.evenements@club-internet.fr
I www.deauville-week.com