About turn for Nantes

Sirius Evenements outraged that French city will no longer back their Nantes-Azores Mini race next year

In a letter dated 25 November 2005, the City of Nantes made it known to Sirius Evenements, organiser of the Nantes-Azores event for the Classe Mini, that they no longer intend to honour the commitments made as regards financing the event.

The Sirius Evenements company can but express its indignation in light of this unilateral break of commitments originally made both in writing and publicly :

- on 28 June 2005 the City of Nantes, under the stamp of Mrs Marie-Françoise Clergeau, Deputy Mayor of Sport, gave her written consent to both the operation and its financing and stated that their commitment would be made formal during the next parish council meeting.
- On 12 September 2005, Mrs Clergeau, 2nd Deputy Mayor of Nantes, officially launched the event during a press conference in Nantes' Town Hall and announced the city's definitive engagement. Numerous journalists and representatives of the French Sailing Federation (FFV) attended this conference.
- The City of Nantes has heavily promoted the event, in particular via its website www.Nantes.fr, and the City's local magazine Nantes Passion that amounts to 160,000 issues. The City has also validated the press campaign launched with its media partners Ouest-France, France Bleu Loire Océan and Voiles et Voiliers.
- Finally, on 2nd November 2005, the City of Nantes, sent the organiser the text for the event's contract that it intended to give a formal standing to during the next Parish Council meeting on 9th December 2005.

This situation is all the more incomprehensible given the fact that the event was proving to be a great sporting success with 113 pre-registered projects to date. Similarly 70% of the target budget has already been raised 9 months prior to the event, numerous local enterprises have expressed an interest in the operation, and a strong media partner base has already been assured.

Sirius Evenements can only accept that the City of Nantes word, publicly expressed by its councillors, must be called into question in what seems to amount to the City's internal budgetary diputes.

Sirius Evenements and the Classe Mini are in close talks to try to resolve this situation and will comment on this matter during the Classe Mini's General Meeting, which will take place on 4 December 2005 at Paris Boat Show.

Sirius Evenements , in the event that the race does not take place, will immediately reimburse the total sum of the inscription fees already paid.

Finally, if this situation is confirmed, Sirius Evenements will demand an immediate redress from the relevant courts of law.