Fun in the sun

IMOCA skippers take part in the inaugural Seychelles Regatta

The first Seychelles Regatta has been won by Michel Desjoyeaux. While this inaugural regatta was nothing in common with the Vendee Globe of which he is only twice winner, Desjoyeaux proved himself to be a true expert in the azure Seychelles waters as he led his team to a first-place finish.

It was a week of pure bliss and competition as the star-studded fleet raced between the Inner Islands of Seychelles whilst experiencing the beauty of the archipelago and swimming off some of the world’s top beaches.

Besides Desjoyeaux, among the participants was fellow competitors Sam Davies, Armel Le Cleac’h and Dee Caffari and Figaro/ORMA 60 sailor Romain Attanasio.

Desjoyeaux was not present at the closing ceremony but his elated crew, who had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with one of the world’s most talented and well capped sailors, were crowned by Vice President Joseph Belmont amid roars of applause.

Guaranteed first place after the seventh race, Desjoyeaux and his Nicholas Feuillatte co-sailors came out ninth and last in Saturday’s eighth and final leg, after having won five races. They finished with 10 points onboard their Leopard 43 catamaran to win themselves the trophy sponsored by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and a week's accommodation at the Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa for two persons.

Sam Davies on CPR Decoration may have missed the elusive title this year, but sailed comfortably into the runners-up spot with 18 points. They capped their regatta with victory in the last race, after also winning two other races. As prize, they won a weekend for two at Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa and a bottle of champagne. Happy to make it to the top three, Romain Attanasio took his Keneos Aubriet team to third place with 26 points and took home a trophy and bottle of champagne.

Thanking the sailors for putting up one of the finest competitions ever to be staged in the Seychelles waters, Seychelles Director of Tourism Marketing, Mr Alain St Ange said it was indeed true that the islands were made for the mariner. “As you might have noticed, sailing is an integral part of every Seychellois,” he said. The week-long event, he continued, has allowed the sailors not only to sail the Seychelles but also to spend time ashore to discover one of the islands’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Vallée-de-Mai – and the timeless islands of La Digue and Silhouette.

He also launched a formal invitation for the sailors to return next year to make the Seychelles Regatta an even greater success than the first edition, as STB works to ensure that it fulfils its potential as a major event in the sailing calendar.

The event was organised by Blue Events based in Brussels, Belgium and had Olivier le Grelle and Regis Elhaouel at the head of organisation.

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