Deauville 2008

One-design and IRC racing on France's Normandy coast in late May

After two editions which have seen the rise of a new international event organisers have announced that the third Deauville International Week2008 event will be held from 28 May 1 June.

In 2007 there were nearly 80 top level crews and 500 racers, 50% of which were international crews representing 12 nationalities, and contending a record 12 races.

To read what we thought of the 2007event, with comment from the organiser Manfred Ramspacher and the Mills 40 Tiamat helmsman Brendan Foley click here .

The event is a development which was made possible by the determined commitment of the Mayor of Deauville, Philippe Augier, some highly involved institutional partners (Calvados County Council, the Basse-Normandie Region, the CCI of the Pays d’Auge), the main clubs of the Baie de Seine, as well as by the support of some first-class media partners (Ouest-France, France Bleu Basse and Haute-Normandie, France 3 Normandie) and a host of enterprises.

The 2008 edition will be held from Wednesday to Sunday with an optional training race on the Wednesday and four intensive days of racing from Thursday to Sunday. With the first race on Thursday afternoon and an early close to the event on Sunday afternoon the schedule has been planned to assist the travel arrangements of overseas crews.

Emphasis will also be placed on the conviviality on shore with the organisation of a grand crew supper free of charge on Friday 30th May. The registration rights have also been adapted to boost the participation of small craft.

As far as the invited classes are concerned, the event retains its initial, top level, international philosophy, by playing host to the top one-designs of the moment.

For the first time Deauville Week will form part of the French J/80 Cup, similarly the 747 OD will contend their National 2008 in Deauville and the Beneteau 7.5 are being encouraged to attend too.

Two other sizeable one design series fleets will also be putting on a show; the J/109 (7 boats in 2006, 16 in 2007) will again contest their European Cup with a strong English presence and the Mumm 30 - for which Deauville Week is currently applying for inclusion in the French Crewed Championship.

An increase in the number of IRC yachts is also a firm objective for the 2008 edition say the organisers. Discussions with the clubs from Caen (SRCO), Le Havre (SRH) – event partners - and Dieppe (CVD) have enabled the racing schedule for the broader Manche Est (Eastern Channel) to be brought into line. An invitation goes out to British, Irish and Northern European crews to race in IRC.

The Notice of Race is available on the website and registration is open on the event's website: http://www.deauville-week.fr