Sailing: a beautiful scene in Sète for the Med Max Occitanie Saïdia resorts

Kito de Pavant espère un départ aussi visuel que celui de la Transat Jacques-Vabre au Havre. – Robin Christol

Les participants devront virer autour d’une bouée installée en face du Théâtre de la mer.

It’s an idea that has been running through Kito de Pavant’s head since the launch of the race last October in Le Havre. The skipper of Port Camargue officially made it a reality last weekend in Sète, where he presented the race.

"We had been working on this possibility for weeks of placing a buoy in the port and in front of the Theater of the Sea which is a magnificent place and seems to have been built for that. With stands facing the water, we can't hope for better to put on a nice show, assures those who are over 60 years old, go to the side of the organizers.

Also read: Sailing: Med Max, the race of the future from Port Camargue to Morocco

And who, as a record holder for participations in the Transat Jacques Vabre but also in other races, has seen numerous starts but also passages in ideal places for spectators. &quot ;Our idea was to reproduce what they do on the Route du Rhum with the cap Fréhel buoy (it separates the bay of Saint-Malo and that of Saint-Brieuc) it’s pretty much the same distance between Sète and Port Camargue", details the experienced sailor.

One to two hours after departure

With the desire for Kito de Pavant to bring a different audience than that which will be at the start in Port Camargue with in particular all the boats in the bay between Palavas, Carnon and La Grande-Motte. "There will be entertainment with a speaker on the theater of the sea to be able to comment on each boat. They will pass one after the other. As long as there is a little wind. It will make a great show for the city and the port of Sète which are partners", explains the organizer.

A show which should take place between one hour and two hours after departure, depending on weather conditions. Enough to also give beautiful images from the sky. "It could resemble what we experienced recently during the start of the Transat Jacques-Vabre even if it is not ;is not a good memory for me", recalls the one who was on the edge of Movember and was hit by another boat when the race had not started that for an hour…

25 boats departing

There will be fewer of them at the start of the Med Max Occitanie Saïda Resorts which will involve around twenty boats. "We had confirmation that we would have the entire Ocean Fifty class namely around fifteen boats to which we must add around ten Class40s. For a first edition, it’s great and it should be a great show", thinks Kito de Pavant.

As much as if the passage to Sète should be magnificent, the rest of the route is not bad either between the spectacular mouths of Bonifacio, the mythical Aeolian Islands, the heavenly archipelago of the Balearic Islands or the charming Zaffarine Islands. Without forgetting the arrival at the Saïdia Resort which promises to be grandiose. Before being in Morocco, the Ocean Fifty will have completed 1,500 miles and the Class40 1,080 miles, i.e. a week of racing between September 29 and October 4. We can't wait.

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