On May 27, fourteen Dufour 34 monohull sailboats left the port of Trinite-sur-Mer, bound for Hoëdic, a small, well-preserved island in the Ponant chain.
All in all, nearly 120 European professionals in cooling and air conditioning put on their sailors’ caps to navigate the waters off the coast of Brittany for three days.
Organized by Climalife and its partners Assurfroid, Clima+confort, Eurovent Certification, HRS, Honeywell, ITE, Mobil Industrial Lubricants, the RPF and Snefcca, this 19th edition of the race raised spirits in a sporting display of competition.
Starting Friday afternoon, a force-4 wind rose, setting the pace for the first Honeywell regatta in the bay of Quiberon. The crews had to quickly get in position on their vessels to stay their course for the port town of Hoëdic, sailing under Snefcca.
This first day ended with a one-of-a-kind barbecue facing the Fort.
Everyone’s job that night was to bring a regional specialty. This became a chance for each participant to discover tastes from all over (including Belgium, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and every corner of France) and to share them all by the light of the setting sun.
The total absence of any wind left our seafaring stalwarts plenty of time to get up on Saturday morning before beating to windward off the shore of Hoëdic in the Mobil Industrial Lubricants and HRS regattas.
The “Bordeaux 1” boat, which had already earned a lead the day before, held on to the front of the fleet. Between two buoys, the participants had the opportunity to sail alongside La Recouvrance, a replica of a military vessel from the turn of the last century, originally intended to carry urgent mail.
Back on dry land, the crews left to explore this charming islan
d just 2.5 km long and 0.8 km wide, in search of raw ingredients for a crêpe batter needed for the regatta gourmet challenge sponsored by Assurfroid. Once they arrived, traditional Breton crêpe grills – called bilics – were waiting.
The Paris 2 team won the prize for the “best crêpe-makers.”
Before returning to the port of Trinité sur Mer, the last Climalife regatta showed off its trickiest manoeuvres along a very short windward-leeward course. The event closed with a cocktail party where everyone shared in the good times they had over the weekend and started thinking of where to pick up at the 20th race, which will be held in the Mediterranean for the first time. “Bordeaux 1”, the crew that won the Voiles du Froid trophy, will defend its title on June 7 through 10, 2012 in the Hyères basin. This coastline, kept free from urban growth, hides two jewels: the islands of Porquerolles and Port Cros.
Voiles du Froid 2011 ranking :
Honeywell regatta: Bordeaux1 / Lyon 2 / France 1
Snefcca regatta : Bordeaux 1 / Europe 2 / France 1
Mobil regatta : Lyon 2 / Bordeaux 1 / Lyon 1
HRS regatta: Bordeaux 1 / Lyon 2 / Europe 1
Assurfroid regatta: Paris 2 / Exxon Mobil / Bordeaux 2
Climalife regatta: France 2 / Bordeaux 1 / Europe 2
General ranking:
1 st place : Bordeaux 1
2 nd place : Lyon 2
3 rd place : France1
Climalife would like to thank its partners, who contribute each year to ensure that the event remains a key fixture for refrigeration and air conditioning professionals.
If you would like to take part in Voiles du Froid 2012, feel free to contact your Climalife contact.
The board of the Voiles du Froid race wishes you an excellent summer!
See you soon